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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBPPV is probably the most common\ncause of vertigo. The name gives an\naccurate description of the problem:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Benign<\/strong>\u2026\nwhile not life threatening, the vertigo can be quite intense and upsetting.<\/li>
- Paroxysmal<\/strong>\u2026\nvery sudden and short spells lasting between 15-30 seconds.<\/li>
- Positional<\/strong>\u2026\ncertain position changes of the head prompt the vertigo.<\/li>
- Vertigo<\/strong>\u2026\nyou feel as if the world is spinning around you.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
What are the common symptoms of BPPV<\/strong>? Most patients will experience a sudden\nspinning sensation when they look up into a cabinet, bending over to pick\nsomething up, turning over when lying in a supine position such as when in bed,\nor perhaps when they look under a car, bed, or cabinet. The spinning sensation may be paired with\nintense nausea and\/or vomiting. Usually\nthe episodes of spinning are between 15-30 seconds in length. Other patients may notice only a sudden,\nbrief sense of instability with movement of either the body or the head. There should be no sense of hearing loss with\nthe episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How is BPPV diagnosed?<\/strong> In\nmost cases, BBPV is diagnosed by putting together the history of vertigo events\nand then by performing a physical test called the Dix-Hallpike<\/strong> test which requires the examiner to hang your head a\nlittle off the edge of an exam chair\/table and then rolling your head to the\nleft and right while watching for a certain movement of the eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What causes BPPV?<\/strong> In most\ncases, we really don\u2019t know. Some\npatients will have a history of head trauma, migraine, other inner ear\nproblems, lying in bed for long periods of time (surgery, illness); however,\nmost patients first become aware of the vertigo when getting up in the morning\nor when turning over in bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s with the crystals?<\/strong> We\nhave crystals of calcium carbonate as part of one type of motion sensing organs\nin our inner ear. When these crystals\ncome off these motion sensing organs they will float around within the inner\near and eventually end up in one of our semicircular canals stimulating the\nwrong nerve ending resulting in false messages to the brain. Then the brain creates the \u2018false sense of\nmovement\u2019 or the symptom of vertigo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How is BPPV treated?<\/strong> For\nmany patients the BPPV will go away within weeks. However, when it does not go away, BPPV is\ntreated with \u2018crystal repositioning procedures\u2019. These physical treatments are usually first\nprovided by an Audiologist or Physical Therapist and have a success rate of\nbetween 80-90%. There a number of names\nfor these treatments; examples are the \u2018Epley maneuver\u2019, and the Lempert 360\nroll maneuver. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your BPPV returns, as it may\nin about 20% of patients, you may be instructed how to \u2018self-reposition\u2019 the\ncrystals by doing the Epley or other treatments yourself at home. You will also need to take precautions not to\nfall\u2026 seniors are encouraged to seek professional help to prevent serious\ninjuries due to falling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Further information about BPPV\nmay be found on on the website of our professional ENT organization, http:\/\/entnet.org\/BPPVCPG<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n
- Paroxysmal<\/strong>\u2026\nvery sudden and short spells lasting between 15-30 seconds.<\/li>