Hello Everyone! I would like to share to you my experience living with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). For those who have this disorder, read the article further for I included some helpful information that might help you during sudden attacks. Hope this article could help you.
What is dizziness?
Dizziness can range from fleeting faintness to a severe balance disorder that makes normal functioning impossible. In simple terms a it is sensation of spinning around and losing one's balance.
Dizziness is one of the symptoms of vertigo. “It used to be that dizziness was the umbrella term and vertigo fit underneath it,” explains audiologist Julie Honaker, PhD. “But now we’re finding that dizziness is very separate from vertigo.”
Dizziness is an altered sense of spatial orientation, a distortion of where we are within a space and like your balance just feels off. Vertigo, on the other hand, is truly the sensation of self-movement or the movement of your surroundings – it’s a spinning sensation.
When I was a child, I used to have this dizziness attacks. It's bothersome because it is uncontrollable. Sometimes, I'll just wake up seeing the room spinning and afterwards I'll start vomiting. The spinning lasts for less than a minute and give me nausea afterwards. I hid this to my parents even though it's really hard. It was difficult hiding especially on times that we'll eat breakfast together. I pretend I was fine but deep inside I want to run towards the bathroom to vomit. There are also times I went to school feeling nauseous and unsteady.
Several years have passed, I haven't been experiencing sudden dizziness and I thought that it is gone for good. But recently as I entered college, I started to feel the sudden attacks. It was June 2019 when I was confined in a hospital because the attacks are starting to be unbearable. The spinning sensation and vomiting lasted for two days. That is when I was diagnosed with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is considered the most common peripheral vestibular disorder.It is a disorder arising from a problem in the inner ear. Symptoms are repeated, brief periods of vertigo with movement, that is, of a spinning sensation upon changes in the position of the head. This can occur with turning in bed or changing position. Each episode of vertigo typically lasts less than one minute. Nausea is commonly associated. BPPV is one of the most common causes of vertigo.
BPPV is not a serious condition but can result from a head injury or simply occur among those who are older. A specific cause is often not found. The underlying mechanism involves a small calcified otolith moving around loose in the inner ear. It is a type of balance disorder along with labyrinthitis and Ménière's disease. Diagnosis is typically made when the Dix–Hallpike test results in nystagmus (a specific movement pattern of the eyes) and other possible causes have been ruled out. In typical cases, medical imaging is not needed.
BPPV is often treated with a number of simple movements such as the Epley maneuver or Brandt–Daroff exercises. Medications may be used to help with nausea. There is tentative evidence that betahistine may help with vertigo but its use is not generally needed.
I have been dealing with dizziness for years now. As I get older, dizziness and vertigo has become a part of my regular life. I tried pills, but pills are only temporary.
What can you do when BPPV attacks return?
If you wake up with positional vertigo, try the following steps:
Slowly move into the good-ear-down position and wait for a minute.
Next, slowly move into a face-down position and slide to the foot of the bed.
Keep your head down until you reach the end of the bed and are kneeling or standing on the floor.
Slowly bring your head backward into an upright position. (Hold on to the bed at all times.)
Another method is to sit toward the foot of the bed, leaving enough room to lay back with your head resting comfortably at the end of the bed, slightly extended. Be careful not to overextend your neck, as this may aggravate existing neck problems. If your symptoms are severe, you may need assistance to complete the maneuver.
Without treatment, the symptoms of BPPV may persist. However, with time (usually within 6 weeks), the otoconia dissolve on their own. Until then, the number and severity of episodes may be reduced simply by paying careful attention to head position. In addition, anti-motion sickness drugs can control nausea.
However, before drugs are taken, it is usually best to try the particle repositioning procedure first. It is a very safe and rapid way to relieve symptoms and reduce the chance for falls. Medications should not be taken for a long period of time.
How to avoid balance problems
One of the best things you can do for your balance system is to take care of yourself. This means being active, eating well and annually seeing your physician to make sure everything is in check. You want to make sure your body is working in its prime, which can ward off symptoms of dizziness and vertigo.
“We don’t start to appreciate decline until we notice changes, like symptoms of vertigo or problems with our ability to walk or not feeling as steady as we used to,” says Dr. Honaker. “That’s when we start to notice things going awry. For preventative measures, the best thing to do is maintain good health.”
“Vertigo can be very debilitating,” says Dr. Honaker.
“It can bring on other symptoms of imbalance too. I think the scariest thing is the fact that it comes on so abruptly. Even though it’s very short, it’s a very, very strong response.”
Our balance system is our sixth sense and sometimes we don’t fully appreciate it until something goes wrong with it.
References:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-vertigo-and-dizziness-the-same-thing/
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I haven't experienced this. But this might be beneficial to those who encounter this. Very informative.