Have you ever experienced a sudden bout of dizziness or sensation that the room is spinning? Does this happen when you lay down in bed at night or roll over in your sleep? These are common signs and symptoms of people that suffer from BPPV. Luckily, most cases can be fixed very quickly with the correct treatment provided by vestibular physiotherapists.

What is BPPV?

BPPV stands for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and is the most common causes of vertigo worldwide. More than 1 in 50 people will experience BPPV at some point in their lifetime and it accounts for nearly one quarter of all dizziness related hospital visits. BPPV occurs when small crystals (otoconia) in your inner ear become dislodged and enter a semicircular canal. These crystals are responsible for detecting postural changes when we move our head. If these crystals get stuck in the wrong area, they can move in different directions causing incorrect messages to be sent to the brain. This results in the spinning sensation of vertigo.

How do I know if I have BPPV?

BPPV generally occurs without any warning and most people will wake up feeling like the room is spinning. This lasts for 5-20 seconds and will resolve if you keep your head still. Following onset, most people will continue to experience the same symptoms each time then perform a particular postural movement. Most commonly:

• Lying down in bed at night
• Rolling to the left or right when in bed
• Bending forwards
• Or looking to the ceiling

Depending on each individual, these symptoms may be accompanied by imbalance, nausea, vomiting or other vestibular symptoms.

How can physiotherapy help?

Vestibular physiotherapists are trained to identify if any of these crystals are dislodged with specific tests and equipment. They will use a camera to identify involuntary eye movement which confirm the areas the crystals have settled. Once this is confirmed, specific repositioning manoeuvres are preformed to relocate the crystals. Generally the treatment is successful in 1-2 sessions and patients make a full recovery. Contact one of our clinics to discuss your needs

References

Kim, H. J., Park, J., & Kim, J. S. (2021). Update on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Journal of neurology, 268, 1995-2000.