Benign | Vertigo Cures

Benign Paroxismal Positional Vertigo

August 4th, 2010 admin No comments

This condition alone accounts for more than approximately 15% of all the cases reported with vertigo. As the name suggests, The patient complains of paroxysms (episodes) of vertiginous bouts especially on the movement of head eg. while getting up from bed, turning or bending the neck sideways, etc. The intensity of vertiginous bout is normally short and sudden and often frequent or intermittent.

Mechanism & Cause

Before we talk about the cause, let us brush up with brief understanding of the inner ear. Primarily, the inner ear consists of cochlea and semi-circular canals that are connected to fluid filled vestibule. The cochlea is concerned with hearing whereas semi-circular canals are responsible for maintaining the balance and posture of the body. During head movements, the fluid in the canals move the fine hair present within which in turn stimulates the sensory (vestibular) nerve. This way, brain receives the information about the position of head with respect to body.

Thus, The vestibular labyrinth of the inner ear contains fluid filled semi-circular canals that monitor the position of the head and help us in maintaining balance. Small particles of calcium carbonates referred to as Otoliths or otoconia are normally present in utricle of the inner ear that get disloged sometimes and float in the vestibular fluid as debris. Post dislodgement these otoliths are referred to as canaliths.

In BPPV, the canaliths enter into the semi-circular canals (mostly posterior) and move during the head movement, causing stimulation of the hair that signal the brain. But the information received by brain from the other ear is not the same and this imbalance of information received causes vertigo. The bout of vertigo is often due to movement, short lasting and intense.

The cause for the dislodgement may be degenerative changes, infections of the inner ear, direct blows around the ear, head injuries, etc.

Signs & Symptoms

Nausea & Dizziness
Vertigo
Loss of balance
Nystagmus
Light headedness
Treatment

Normally, the condition remains benign and is not serious but frequent and intense bouts are a great source of disturbance. The treatment aims at repositioning the canaliths at some ‘safe place’ where they do not move and stimulate the fine hair within the inner ear. One of the commonly performed is Epley’s manoeuvre by the physician and this manoeuvre requires a series of patient’s head movements performed by the physician.

Many are also of the belief that BPPV recovers on it’s own in case we do not treat the patient. It is believed that the otoconia or canaliths are absorbed in due course of time or get repositioned themselves.

In case nothing works, surgical plugging of the affected part of ear is an option using bone plug. The success rate again here is not 100%.

Cawthrone cooksey exercises in any case helps patients with BPPV.

Param is the administrator of PhysioErgo [http://physioergo.com/] – an informal, informational and community website for Physical Therapists

Categories: Articles Tags: Benign, Paroxismal, Positional, Vertigo

The Epley Maneuver And Benign Vertigo

March 31st, 2010 admin No comments

Vertigo is a common occurrence in people around the world and accounts for more than 6 million clinic visits in the US alone. Of these, 20%-45% of patients are found to suffer from BBPV.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is a disorder caused by certain problems in the inner ear, the organ that is responsible for maintaining the body in balance. The symptoms of this condition include repeated episodes of vertigo. Changes in the position of the head are accompanied by spinning sensation that leads to dizziness.

BBPV is known as ‘ear crystals’ because the collection of calcium crystals in the inner ear are dislodged from their normal position during these episodes. So, when the head is moved, these crystals move and this leads to the abnormal displacement of fluid, leading to dizziness.

In Benign Vertigo, episodes of dizziness are triggered by tilting the head quickly, rolling over in bed, sudden head movement or looking in different directions in sudden movements. In BPPV, vertigo lasts only for a few seconds. Typically, dizziness is triggered only when there is change in position. While sight may be affected at the time of the attack, other symptoms like fainting and nausea are absent.

Benign Positional vertigo is not life threatening in itself. That is why it is called ‘benign’. It is called ‘Paroxysmal’ because the episodes are very brief and last for a few seconds only. However, these episodes are a major inconvenience and its constant occurrence can make it difficult for patients to lead a normal life. Some people suffer from this kind of vertigo for many years.

The Epley Maneuver is one of the most common techniques of dealing with this kind of vertigo. The aim is to change the position of the crystals to areas where they do not cause vertigo. Typically, the patient starts in a seated position. They are then made to lie down with the head hanging in a particular direction. Then, the head is rotated towards the other ear. Finally, the patient comes back to the normal position. In this way, the errant crystals are brought into a position where they are harmless. This maneuver must be practiced and learnt under the guidance of an experienced professional.

The Epley Maneuver has been considered to be very successful in treating BPPV. Treatments such as these may be combined with the intake of certain herbs in order to reduce episodes of dizziness and fainting.

Ginger and ginger extracts have been known to have beneficial effects on those who suffer from thesymptoms of vertigo. Certain components in ginger help in regulating the messages received by the brain and this alleviates the severity of the condition. These are natural treatments for the condition which can be beneficial as an alternative to over the counter or prescribed medication.

Vertigo Cause – Read about natural remedies for vertigo, inner ear vertigo, benign positional vertigo and also about how to cure and treat.