Have you ever gone through the experience of feeling like the entire world was going upside down with you going nowhere, but everywhere? If you have, and did not know what you were going through, chances are it would create a great deal of panic in you.
But, do not fret, as you are not alone! This is a case of vertigo, a condition not uncommon as it is prevalent among many people today. It is like some illnesses that, although there may be no cure, can be managed.
The medical term for this is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). In an article by Paula Span that appeared in nytimes.com/science, “a trained physical therapist, audiologist, or otolaryngologist can usually dispatch its symptoms on the spot with a simple repositioning maneuver.” The article further explained that if the vertigo recurs, which usually happens months or even years later, the afflicted individuals can do the maneuver by themselves.
BPPV, according to Span’s article, occurs when the tiny calcium carbonate crystals of one’s inner ear loosens and migrates into one of the semicircular canals, where their presence signals the brain that you are moving, when you are not.
The so-called spinning sensation may last for a few minutes for some people, but occasional or abrupt changes in head position may trigger it to occur several times a day or, worse, even weeks. Often, if it becomes really intense, it can be coupled with nausea.
Moreover, as Span elaborated, BPPV occurs more frequently as we grow older, “apparently because the protein coating that holds the crystals in place weakens with age, like an old Post-It sticker.”
In an evaluative survey done on 100 patients in a geriatrics clinic at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, Dr. John Oghalai, an otolaryngologist at Stanford University in California, found that nine percent had undiagnosed BPPV, which could be even more widespread as none among the patients had previously complained of dizziness.
According to the experts, the vertigo in itself is not dangerous and may not be a cause for alarm. However, if you are suffering from it at a particular moment and you cannot manage it, one is more likely to fall, thus, causing injuries, especially when the attack happens while one is inside the bathroom or is getting dressed. In fact, if the vertigo persists, it can cause one to be unproductive and immobile as you unsteadily clutch on to anything or be bound to a wheelchair. Some of the patients, the experts found out, have previously visited five other physicians, have undergone many expensive, but unnecessary tests, and may have taken anti-nausea drugs for months or years. These, however, will only slow the seeming whirling, but will not eliminate the vertigo altogether.
Dr. Carol Foster, an otolaryngologist at the University of Colorado Hospital, has stumbled on a breakthrough to stop vertigo at almost 90 percent of the time. Her solution is the Epley maneuver, named after an Oregon ear surgeon who discovered it in 1980. Another term given is canalith repositioning where a therapist, after confirming the BPPV as it has many other kinds, “turns the head from one side to another while looking for a characteristic eye movement called nystagmus. It can also involve turning your head in several positions while you are sitting, then lying on your side.” The catch is that the entire procedure is quick, taking less than five minutes and the results are long-lasting.
It was explained that it is “gravity that allows the inner ear crystals that have shifted to float back into place,” thus, the spinning would stop. Patients who have tried it found the procedure to be very easy, quick, and non-invasive.
Because of the success and popularity of the Epley maneuver, Span continued in her article that Dr. Foster had developed an additional maneuver for home use called the “half-somersault that is done kneeling on the floor.” According to Span, the initial trial performed on 68 patients by Dr. Foster revealed that “it was as effective as a self-administered Epley maneuver.” However, as this was yet very new, studies replicating Dr. Foster’s trial results have not been disseminated yet.
The Epley maneuver has been widely practiced for approximately 20 years, but some medical professionals have not known about it or, perhaps, even correctly diagnosed BPPV. Today, it is estimated that an increasing number of older adults suffer from vertigo, as we commonly know it, without having been advised that there is actually a safe, accepted, and inexpensive way to make the world stop spinning.
The next time you feel the world turning upside down, take heart. The world is not coming to an end, but only you can stop vertigo. | NWI
