Head trauma is also the most common cause of bilateral BPPV.¹īPPV can be broken down into two different causes: canalithiasis or cupulolithiasis. However, younger individuals can experience BPPV as well but typically have a preceding head trauma. BPPV is one of the most common diagnoses causing dizziness among the general population.īPPV most commonly affects those over the age of 50 and typically affects women more so than men. This condition is typically associated with aging or a head injury but sometimes can onset without any particular cause. A nystagmus is when your eyes rapidly move uncontrollably. Typically these symptoms are aggravated by a change in head position causing the crystals to move triggering an eye movement known as a “nystagmus”. Symptoms can be intermittent lasting for sometimes up to a minute. As the name suggests, it is considered a benign condition caused by positional changes with your head. These small crystals moving out of place can cause you to feel dizziness and like the world is spinning around you. Surgery - surgery is only needed in a few cases.What is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) and is it serious?īPPV is a type of vertigo caused by small crystals of calcium moving in your inner ear (semicircular canals).Diuretics, or water pills, may be prescribed to reduce the swelling associated with Meniere’s disease. Medicine - motion sickness medication can be used to relieve some symptoms of vertigo such as nausea, and antibiotics can treat a bacterial infection.
The treatment moves calcium deposits out of the canal so they can be absorbed by the body. Canalith repositioning measures - this is useful if the cause is BPPV.Vestibular rehabilitation or balance training - this is a type of physical therapy that strengthens the vestibular (balance) system.They may recommend one of the following treatments: Stress can increase symptoms of dizziness and nausea, and reducing stress can help reduce the symptoms. In most cases vertigo goes away without treatment. Rarely, vertigo is caused by serious problems such as brain tumour or a stroke. Other causes of vertigo include head injuries, circulation problem and infections. Other inner ear problems that can cause vertigo are Meniere’s disease, where there is associated tinnitus and hearing loss, and 2 conditions that involved swelling or infection of the inner ear, vestibular neuronitis and labyrinthitis.
BPPV occurs when tiny calcium particles clump together in the part of the inner ear that helps control our balance, affecting the messages sent from your inner ear to your brain.
The most common cause is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Vertigo is often the result of an inner ear problem. These involve quickly moving your head into a certain position, such as when looking up, getting out of bed and bending over.ĬHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS - Use our dizziness and lightheadedness Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help. Some activities can bring on an attack of vertigo. If you have vertigo, it may feel like you are spinning, swaying or feeling unbalanced. Vertigo is a type of dizziness that is often described as feeling that you are spinning or that the world is spinning around you, particularly if you change position. Related information on Australian websites.