Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: Understanding the Most Common Cause of Dizziness
If you’re struggling with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, we can help!
Do you ever feel like the world is spinning–even if you’re standing perfectly still? That sensation, called vertigo, affects around 1.5 million Canadians yearly, and your chances of experiencing it increase as you age. Vertigo has several potential causes, but the most common is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), a condition of the inner ear. While the name is a mouthful, it actually explains the condition quite well:
- Benign means the condition isn’t life-threatening
- Paroxysmal means the symptoms appear suddenly
- Positional means the symptoms occur due to changes in position
- Vertigo describes the main symptom, a type of dizziness that feels like either you or your surroundings are spinning
If you’re experiencing sudden, brief bouts of vertigo or dizziness after changing positions, there’s a good chance you have BPPV. At Physio For Life, our physiotherapists are trained to address various vestibular (or inner ear) disorders, including BPPV. Through a handful of specialized treatment approaches, we can help you manage your condition.
To learn more about BPPV and its treatment, schedule an appointment at our West End Vancouver, BC, and Downtown Vancouver, BC physiotherapy clinics!
The Basics of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: Symptoms and Causes
Although researchers are completely certain, BPPV most likely results from the displacement of small calcium carbonate crystals in your inner ear. When you shift positions, these crystals move, too. Because the inner ear plays a big role in our sense of balance, the sudden movement of those crystals leads to the sudden bouts of vertigo that define the condition.
Certain movements are more likely to trigger a bout of BPPV, including the following:
- Tilting your head
- Rolling over in bed
- Looking up or down
- Moving your head suddenly
While we do understand the mechanics that cause BPPV, we don’t always understand what causes those crystals to become displaced in the first place. In fact, in most incidences of BPPV, there’s no clear cause at all, and it may be part of the aging process for some people. For young people, head injury or viral infection are both potential causes.
The main symptom of BPPV is sudden, short bouts of vertigo. The vertigo attacks typically take less than a minute and will come and go. Sometimes, they may be accompanied by other symptoms, such as loss of balance, unsteadiness, or nausea and vomiting.
The Role of Physiotherapy in Treating Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Although benign paroxysmal positional vertigo has no real medical cure, several specialized maneuvers can help you manage your symptoms. Our team can perform these maneuvers, which will help move the calcium crystals to a location in your ear that won’t trigger vertigo.
Three main maneuvers can address BPPV. Our team will work with you to determine which one is the most effective for treating your condition. While each consists of slightly different movements, all involve rapid head movements to dislodge the crystals.
In addition to these specialized maneuvers, we may also suggest you try vestibular therapy, a form of therapy designed to address vertigo and balance issues more generally. Vestibular rehabilitation involves several targeted exercises that may help alleviate your symptoms and improve your overall quality of life. Some of the exercises we might suggest include the following:
- Gaze stabilization exercises, which can help ease vertigo attacks
- Balance training, which can reduce your risk of falling due to a vertigo attack
- Patient education, including self-administered repositioning maneuvers to reduce vertigo attacks
A combination of BPPV-specific maneuvers and vestibular rehabilitation can go a long way toward helping you manage your condition!
What to Expect During Your Appointments at Physio For Life
When you come in for your first appointment, one of our physiotherapists will conduct a series of tests to help us determine if you have BPPV or another condition. People with BPPV have a type of involuntary eye movement called nystagmus, which we can screen for. We’ll also use positional tests to try and recreate BPPV symptoms.
To ensure you’re getting the best care, being specific when explaining your symptoms is essential. Dizziness and vertigo are often challenging sensations to describe, so try to be as detailed as possible: How long do the attacks last? What positions make the attacks better or worse? Do you feel lightheaded?
If this feels overwhelming, don’t worry–our therapists will walk you through the process!
Once we’ve determined the cause of your vertigo, we’ll develop a customized treatment plan. If you do have BPPV, we’ll select which maneuvers will work best for your particular case, depending on which area of the ear is affected. We’ll also suggest various vestibular exercises based on your needs and goals.
Call Us Today to Get Started!
While “benign” is right there in BPPV’s name, it can still profoundly impact your quality of life, especially for older adults, who already have an increased fall risk. Physiotherapy at Physio For Life will help you discover which maneuvers and vestibular exercises work best for you.
Living with period vertigo attacks, however brief, is a challenge. Request an appointment today to learn how we can help you manage those attacks and live a full, active life!