Dizziness/Vertigo
There are many causes of dizziness and vertigo. These words are used synonymously but in rehabilitation, we separate out the meaning. The type of dizziness tells us what is actually going on. Room spinning dizziness is almost always caused by a condition called BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). This is a condition where crystals in your inner ear are knocked loose and give you severe room spinning vertigo.
Luckily, this can almost always be treated in 1-2 sessions. The procedure involves moving the head in a fashion so the crystals are relocated into an area called a cupula, where they are reabsorbed. The problem is, there are 3 overlapping canals that have a common area, and if the procedure is performed incorrectly, the crystals can be dumped into another canal. This is why a qualified practitioner should perform the procedure. Here at Dynamic Physio Therapy, we have many years of experience treating BPPV.
Here are some other common causes of dizziness:
Labrynthitis
Vestibular neuritis
Migraine
Acoustic neuroma
Perilymph Fistula
Vestibular Hypofunction
Ototoxicity
Meniere’s Disease/Endolymphatic hydrops
Blood pressure
Some of these conditions can be resolved with Physical Therapy and some are medically managed. Consult with one of our qualified therapists to determine if therapy is warranted.
BLOGS:
Dietary Causes of Vertigo (BPPV)
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV for short, is a debilitating condition that causes severe room-spinning dizziness with changes of head position. If you’ve heard of ‘crystals being loose in the ear’, this is BPPV. It is usually called ‘idiopathic BPPV’, which simply means we don’t know the cause. Head trauma can cause it, but for many patients that deal with this, they haven’t had any trauma. Some recent research has proposed that there is likely a dietary component of this condition in the form of changes in carbohydrate metabolism.
Dizziness - Labyrinthitis
If you’ve had a recent bacterial or viral infection, and then become dizzy, it may be due to labyrinthitis. The inner ear has a membranous labyrinth which can become inflamed. This will usually cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, hearing loss, and ringing in the ears. The dizziness will usually be described as room spinning and can last for days.
A Cause of Dizziness - Meniere’s Disease
There are many causes of room-spinning dizziness, so it’s important to identify other symptoms to be able to correctly diagnose the cause. Meniere’s disease (you may hear it called endolymphatic hydrops) is characterized by room-spinning dizziness provoked with head position change and can last hours to days. It can also be accompanied with hearing loss, a sense of fullness in the ears, and ringing in the ears.
The Many Causes of Dizziness
When I have a patient that wants to know what to do about their dizziness, the first thing I want them to do is describe how it feels without saying “dizzy”. Dizzy is a blanket description that can mean anything from lightheaded to room spinning dizziness. It may sound callus, but I always hope for room spinning dizziness.
What Is Motion Sickness?
You are on a cruise ship in your room and your stomach starts to rumble. Or maybe you are in a car reading a book in the back seat and get nauseated. Why does this happen? We are not 100% sure but it may be due to what is called the “sensory conflict theory” or “neural mismatch”. Here is how it works: