Prelude: Before I get into the topic of the post, I want to say that I have gone back and forth about making this post and still feel somewhat uncomfortable with my decision. However, I hope this article will answer some of the questions I have been asked through the years and satisfy any lingering curiosity.Some readers of this blog are aware that I have struggled with vertigo for almost four years. However, unless you are around me on a daily or nearly daily basis, you very well may not have any idea that I have this condition (and even then, you may not have noticed). It is true that I don’t talk about it a great deal, but it is something that I deal with on some level on a daily basis.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is a disease process of the inner ear. It is thought to be caused by head injury, the aging process, ototoxicity, and in many instances the cause is unknown. It is believed that mine was caused by high dose antibiotics (http://www.vestibular.org/vestibular-disorders/specific-disorders/ototoxicity.php) that were administered during and after major surgery (ototoxicity). In the following you will find a brief and concise explanation of the workings of the inner ear and the disease process that is BPPV. “Inside your ear is a tiny organ called the vestibular labyrinth. It includes three loop-shaped structures (semicircular canals) that contain fluid and fine, hair-like sensors that monitor the rotation of your head. Other structures … in your ear monitor movements of your head — up and down, right and left, back and forth — and your head's position related to gravity. These … [structures] — the utricle and saccule — contain crystals that make you sensitive to movement and gravity. For a variety of reasons, these crystals can become dislodged. When they become dislodged, they can move into one of the semicircular canals…. This causes the semicircular canal to become sensitive to head position changes it would normally not respond to. As a result, you feel dizzy.” (source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vertigo/DS00534/DSECTION=causes)
Often times BPPV will resolve on its own without treatment. There is also a head positioning treatment (Epley maneuver) that is helpful to some patients. Sigh…I have been there, done that and more. In my experience and research I have found that the vast majority of individuals who get BPPV experience episodes that are brief, and are symptom free in a few days to perhaps a month or so. I am in the small percentage (perhaps 10% depending upon whose research you believe) who have an atypical, persistent case of BPPV. Some of you will remember when the disease process first began for me. I moved my head (and body) very carefully, experienced extreme nausea, had a difficult time concentrating (my brain was working overtime trying to compensate for the false signals coming from my inner ear), and I didn’t drive for eight months. Without going into more detail, suffice it to say that my quality of life was very poor. I am so very thankful that for several years now I have been on a medication (not originally intended to treat BPPV) that has tremendously helped with the symptoms. Even with the medication, I continue to struggle with this condition, although it is much more manageable. One of the frustrations of this condition is its unpredictability. For some weeks at a time I am doing quite well and then suddenly I am very vertiginous. I continue to learn what activities or movements might agitate the misplaced particles in my inner ear, however, often I cannot determine what has caused the agitation. Having said all that, I continue to hope that one day my inner ear will function normally.
So, you now know more than you probably ever wanted to know about BPPV!
Well, I feel it only appropriate to end this post on a musical note -- so go to youtube and type in "music from vertigo" (listen to the top link) and enjoy!! Blessings…..