Are you or someone you know experiencing vertigo?
Vertigo is the sensation of the room spinning around you, or the sensation of your body spinning within the room. It is often a debilitating feeling and can cause nausea and falls.
Dizziness and vertigo can be caused by a variety of factors and it’s important to get a professional examination to determine which type of dizziness you are experiencing so you can get it treated effectively.
One type of dizziness is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) which can cause vertigo.
What are the symptoms of BPPV?
-Vertigo: the sensation of the room spinning or you spinning within the room
-Symptoms are caused by: rolling over in bed, looking up or down, moving from sitting to lying down or vice versa, turning your head side to side.
-Symptoms last from several seconds up to 1 minute, but can last several minutes in severe cases
What’s happening with BPPV?
The vestibular organ is located in the inner ear and communicates with your eyes and muscles to tell you how your head is moving in space so you can quickly adjust to the changing environment. BPPV happens when microscopic calcium crystals become dislodged within the inner ear. The crystals become stuck within the semicircular canals which are part of the vestibular organ located within the inner ear. As your head moves the crystals slowly move within the semicircular canal, telling your eyes that you are continuing to rotate which causes the sensation of the room spinning.
How is it treated?
Vertigo is actually very easy to fix! We like to call it “the one quick fix in all of healthcare”. To treat vertigo your physical therapist will move your head through a series of positions that allow the crystals to navigate back to where they’re supposed to be. The vast majority of BPPV cases can be completely resolved in 1 – 3 visits.
If you or someone you know is experiencing vertigo, give the experts at Mend a call or schedule on our website to make sure you get a proper diagnosis and get relief from this debilitating condition.