REAL TALK: Vertigo
What is vertigo? What’s happening to cause my symptoms? How can I fix this problem quickly? These are the most common questions that we get as clinicians when treating patients with vertigo. Vertigo symptoms can be so severe that some people find it impossible to just get out of bed. Some forms of vertigo can be so severe that it can cause permanent disability for some individuals. Today we’ll cover the most common form of vertigo.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (that’s a mouthful), is the most common form of vertigo, but not the only form. It’s more commonly referred to as BPPV. This form of vertigo can affect people regardless of their age, but is more common in people over the age of 50 and affects women more than men, sorry ladies.
Overview - BPPV affects the inner ear, specifically the semicircular canals of the inner ear. These canals are filled with fluid and monitor rotational motions of the head. Other structures (otolith organs) next to these canals help to monitor head movements. These organs contain crystals called otoliths, and for various reasons these crystals can break loose and float around in the inner ear’s semicircular canals. This makes the canals sensitive to head motions and makes people feel dizzy, this is known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
What brings on BPPV? In many people there is no specific onset or incident that people can remember that causes BPPV. Sometimes washing your hair or even a bike ride can cause the onset of symptoms. However, some common causes can include head trauma, yoga, sitting in the dentist’s chair too long, or high intensity aerobics.
Symptoms - Vertigo makes the affected person feel like the room is spinning or that their head is spinning. It causes severe imbalance, feeling of spinning, dizziness, nausea, and sometimes vomiting. The symptoms can come and go, but are most commonly associated with head motions. When the person is experiencing vertigo symptoms the eyes often display a rhythmic motion called nystagmus. These symptoms usually only last a few seconds to a minute, and can be mild or severe making it difficult to stand or maintain balance.
Treatment - Luckily BPPV can be very easy to treat if diagnosed properly. Many people who come to our clinic for treatment of BPPV usually go to the emergency room first because they’re confused and don’t know what’s happening. After running a bunch of different tests in the ER they often get sent to PT for vestibular rehabilitation. Treatment of BPPV can be solved simply by a couple of different techniques such as the Epley maneuver or the Semont technique. These maneuvers are often enough to cure BPPV after just a couple of visits, but some people require further treatment to completely resolve symptoms. There are also various medications that people can take to help reduce the effects of vertigo and suppress the vestibular system.
Complications - Complications from BPPV are minimal, but sometimes the brain can get used to the incorrect signals it receives from the inner ear and some individuals might require extensive vestibular rehabilitation therapy. This can happen if vertigo is not diagnosed and treated quickly. However, if the problem is diagnosed quickly, then symptoms can be resolved in as little as one visit.
*General disclaimer as always, the information in this article is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you feel you may have signs of BPPV it’s a good idea to talk about it with your doctor.*