Ask Dr. Nick
On today’s episode, Dr. Nick talks about dizziness caused by BPPV along with diagnosis and treatment. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of dizziness, and it can occur spontaneously or after head trauma. This condition is benign meaning that it can be treated with conservative treatment relatively easily in most cases; however, this does not mean it is not debilitating for the patient.
Symptoms include violent spinning sensation when moving one’s head or body, getting out of bed or rolling over in bed, instability or balance issues, nausea, and ringing in the ear. Proper diagnosis requires a trained practitioner who can look at your eyes while testing multiple positions. Then, treatment may only require a simple maneuver. Sometimes multiple are necessary along with vestibular rehabilitation afterwards to recalibrate the brain that may have been changed. Check out the video for more in depth information on the pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of BPPV!
Hornibrook J. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): History, Pathophysiology, Office Treatment and Future Directions. Int J Otolaryngol. 2011;2011:835671.
