Did you know that 50% of all dizziness in older people is due to a condition called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). You need to contact your doctor to confirm your condition, but if you get very dizzy when you change positions like lying down from a sitting position or getting up after waking in the morning, you could have BPPV. Experiencing dizziness when turning your head from side to side or up and down is also a symptom. To diagnose vertigo, your doctor will look for jumping movements in the eyes as he asks you to change positions. People with vertigo describe their condition as the feeling of being stationary and having the room and objects spinning around them. Other symptoms of BPPV include lightheadedness, imbalance, nausea and vomiting.
Doctors believe the cause of BPPV has to do with small crystals of calcium found in a small sac in the ear called the utricle. Either due to head trauma or advanced age, these crystals escape from their sac and migrate into the ear canal system where they send incorrect positioning signals to the brain.
BPPV can be treated using a positioning maneuver called the Epley Maneuver. In this maneuver, the doctor or physical therapist has the person lie down from a sitting position and then turns the head from side to side is a specific timed way. This maneuver attempts to move the crystals in the ear back into the ear sac. After the maneuver, the person should avoid any fast or tilting movements with the head and must stay almost upright while sleeping for two days afterwards. A recliner or bed wedge comes in handy when trying to sleep in an upright position. The maneuver may need to be repeated several times over a period of weeks or months before the condition is completely resolved. Once resolved, the condition can also
Bed Wedge
return without warning. At this point, the person can resume treatment with their doctor or physical therapist or can try to perform the Epley Maneuver by themselves at home.
If a person knows that he is prone to vertigo there are some head positions that they should Some movements that are believed to trigger BPPV are shampooing at the beauty salon, Yoga or Pilates positions, men shaving under their chins and application of eye drops.
You must log in to post a comment.