Have you been experiencing vertigo or dizziness? You might feel like their must be something wrong with your brain which causes you, without any warning, to lose your balance. There are many conditions that can result in a loss of balance, but in many cases the problem is not with your brain. It is your ear. After visiting an ENT specialist, you may have been diagnosed with BPPV. So, what exactly is BPPV and what causes it to occur? ENT Specialists will explain what BPPV is and how you can get this disorder without realizing it.
BPPV or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a disorder that can cause you to lose your balance and experience vertigo. This disorder in fact is a problem that occurs within the inner ear. Some symptoms of BPPV are of dizziness, vertigo with movement, that spinning sensation as you may change positions (most often from laying down and going to a sitting or standing position) and is usually accompanied by nausea. Due to the sudden loss of balance, many injuries have occurred, including head injuries. This is especially common among the elderly.
BPPV disorder is when small calcified otolith becomes loose inside the inner ear. Because BPPV is caused by loose calcified otolith (or calcified crystals). BPPV is also sometimes referred to as stone ear disorder. Once the calcified otolith is no longer in place, your body’s natural equilibrium is thrown off, which leads to loss of balance. The causes of BPPV are fairly simple. Those calcified crystals come loose. A simple fall can do the trick and even some studies show that gravity can be to blame. Evan the perfect angle of how someone sleeps can slowly pull the otolith out of place. Some other common causes of BPPV can be due to looking up and down, post head injury, sudden movement of the persons head, tilting of the head, and rolling over in bed. However BPPV occurs, the calcified otoliths become dislodged and begin to migrate into the semicircle canal. BPPV can intensify during times of high stress, lack of sleep, and those with BPPV may even experience barometric pressure. In other words they know when rain or snow will fall two day before the storm even moves in. You can forget the weather reports via the news if you have BPPV.
BPPV isn’t just a problem for the elderly. In fact, BPPV can affect any one at any time in their life. However the affects of BPPV, such as vertigo or loss of balance, seems to be more dramatic in the elderly. The severity of the BPPV will depend on the treatment offered. In some cases, treatment can be done easily and with great success. If you’re experiencing symptoms of BPPV, you should see an ENT specialist. We will perform a few basic tests and exercises to diagnose your problem. After diagnostics and your doctor determined that you have BPPV as well as its severity, he or she will begin proper treatment of the BPPV disorder.
If you think you may have BPPV disorder, contact ENT Specialists to schedule your appointment today. BPPV may seem like a minor problem, but it can have some serious consequences such as head injuries and broken bones. To prevent a serious injury, begin treatment for BPPV with ENT Specialists now.
