vertigo

[wolfpack]

HAS ANYONE EXPERIENCED VERTIGO AND DOES ANYONE KNOW ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS?

[Janknitz]

Yes, I recently developed benign paroxysmal vertigo. I learned that the inner ear, just like your skin, constantly sluffs off cells, and sometimes these sluffed cells clump together and float around, stimulating the nerves that tell us the position of our heads.

If your doctor diagnoses this you can be referred to a "vestibular" physical therapist who can help you reposition the crystals through a series of movements (eply maneuver) and give you exercises to reduce the vertigo. The best part is it works and you don't have to be drowsy from antinausea drugs all the time.

[WOLFPACK]

DO YOU THINK THIS WAS RELATED TO CPAP?I Have been on cpap for about 4 years and using nasal pillow and started hving leaks .i must be behind what is everyone measuring?

[avi123]

Find a specialist in your area here:

http://www.vestibular.org/search/index.php

or

http://www.vestibular.org/search/index. ... &match=all

[JohnBFisher]

As a side note, there are a LOT of causes of dizziness and vertigo. It can result from inner ear problems. It can result from problems regulating blood pressure. It can result from poor coordination due to neurological problems. Dizziness/vertigo can result from peripheral neuropathy. It can result from nerve damage due to diabetes. It can result from an infection. And it might even be a result from adjustment to CPAP.

If you recently started CPAP, it will be something to which your body will adjust and the dizziness/vertigo will decrease over time. If it is due to an inner ear infection, then medication can help. And as others have noted, if it is due to inner ear issues (other than an infection), you can learn to adjust to it.

You might need to see a doctor, if it does not decrease with time. But in your shoes, I would probably give myself some time (a week or two). If it does not decrease on its own, then you will want to chat with your doctor. Your doctor should be able to help you sort out the cause of the dizziness/vertigo.

Hope that helps.

[robysue]

As a side note, there are a LOT of causes of dizziness and vertigo. It can result from inner ear problems. It can result from problems regulating blood pressure. It can result from poor coordination due to neurological problems. Dizziness/vertigo can result from peripheral neuropathy. It can result from nerve damage due to diabetes. It can result from an infection. And it might even be a result from adjustment to CPAP.

And adding to these causes of vertigo: Migraineous vertigo. In other words---migraines manifesting themselves as vertigo instead of (or in additiion to) headache pain.

And for the inner ear problems: In addition to the BPPV mentioned by Janknitz, there are a host of other inner and middle ear problems that can lead to vertigo. Meniere's disease/syndrome is one of the better known causes of vertigo, and alas, there is no easy answer to dealing with vertigo caused by Meniere's disease.

Vertigo is essentially a symptom. And it can manifest itself in many different ways in terms of length of attacks, severity of attacks, frequency of attacks, and what triggers the attacks. All of these are important in sorting out what might be causing a particular person's vertigo.

As to when to see a doctor about the vertigo: It depends. If the vertigo is mild and does not particularly interfer with your daily life---as in short-lived vertigo spells a few times a week that don't leave you disoriented or feeling at risk for falling over---then JohnBFisher is right: Wait and see if the spells go away in a few weeks; if not, then start with your PCP and go for there.

But if the vertigo is severe---i.e. you feel like you are in danger of falling down OR you're experiencing prolonged spells that last for more than a few minutes OR if you're experiencing numerous daily spells that seem to be getting WORSE instead of better OR if the spells leave you physically sick---woozy or nauseated---then I'd say call your PCP now and get in to be seen as soon as you can.

And ask your PCP for a referal to an ENT and an audiologist for testing. In addition to a full hearing test, there's a full set of vertigo tests that audiologists/ENTs can run to determine whether the problem really is in your inner ear or not. If the problem is an inner ear problem, then vestibular rehab is a possibility. Although it's worth noting that a significant part of vestibular rehab consists of exercises designed to intentionally trigger the vertigo in a controlled fashion so that your brain can learn to overcome the misleading data coming from your inner ears.

And if there's nothing wrong with the inner ear, then the ENT will likely send you either to another specialist (if there's an obvious candidate for what might be causing the vertigo) or back to your PCP, who should then start considering other causes of vertigo based on your full medical history.

Best of luck

[Uncle_Bob]

HAS ANYONE EXPERIENCED VERTIGO AND DOES ANYONE KNOW ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS?

My doctor had me go for some tests because he suspected Vertigo. As it turns out one doctor eventually correctly identified my issue : Anxiety

[chunkyfrog]

I awoke this morning with vertigo; and after a little research,
discovered DizzyFix--an Eppley maneuver assitive device out of Canada,
Does anyone have any experience with it?
How is Wulfman?

[VVV]

i must be behind what is everyone measuring?

Most of us have machines with software that gives the details of what is happening with our breathing minute-by-minute throughout the night. It's easy to download the data and look at a detailed report the next morning.

If you don't already have this capability let us know and some of the members will tell you how to get it.

With the software you might find out something is not working properly with your therapy and that could be the cause of vertigo.

Of course there are many things that could be causing your vertigo so get checked out thoroughly.

[mikeandtina]

I’ve had vertigo in the past and am certainly no expert, but I can pass what information/experience I have along to you.

Try this:
When you are lying on your side in bed, open your eyes.
Are object actually spinning?
Are they spinning to the left or to the right?
Switch sides.
Does the spinning slow and then reverse direction?

If so, you may have benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Some people get relief from the Epley maneuver – here is a link which describes it; you can also look on youtube for an actual demonstration. If I understand it correctly, there are calcium crystals which break off in the inner ear and float around until they land. Sometimes they land in a place which causes your brain to be confused. This maneuver attempts to move the debris to a location which doesn’t interfere with your balance.

http://www.webmd.com/brain/liberatory-m ... or-vertigo

Sometimes BPPV is a one-time problem and sometimes it reoccurs. Try to find a hearing and balance lab where they can diagnose you. If you are in the NW, the University of Washington has an excellent program. There are also vertigo forums/organization which may help answer your questions.

I also had a vertigo episode which I believe was CPAP-related. I was using the nasal pillows and had increased my pressure. I decreased my pressure and started using a full-face mask and the vertigo has not returned. I don’t know for sure what caused this vertigo, but thought I’d mention my experience in case it may be of some help to you.

Best of luck.
Tina

[Otter]

Years ago, my mother had BPPV. She was afraid to drive, so I took her to see a neurologist, then to another appointment with a tech who did some very expensive tests. Luckily, insurance covered it, but by the time she finally got the appoint for the test, her vertigo had passed.

The tech told us about the treatment, which wasn't invasive and simply involved going through a series of positions on a table. I wondered why it wasn't simply done first, and the tests if that didn't work. He didn't know.

So when the vertigo came back, I went on the internet to find out about this treatment. The Epley maneuver is the usual one, there's also one called the log roll. I read and studied the pictures, and took Mom through positions. Cured in minutes, at home, for free! Her vertigo has come back a few times over the years, but now we know what to do.

The first part of the Epley maneuver is also diagnostic. If you have BPPV, you'll know it, and you'll know on which side.

Here's a couple links.
http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/di ... /bppv.html
http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/di ... first.html

[chunkyfrog]

Oh, I see OP was not wulfman, but a guest poster.
--And I also understand why OT was not in the title.
I found the videos on Youtube- I think I'll go try one.
Thank you.

[Otter]

Oh, I see OP was not wulfman, but a guest poster.
--And I also understand why OT was not in the title.
I found the videos on Youtube- I think I'll go try one.
Thank you.

OP looks like spam, but it's a useful thread anyway.

[chunkyfrog]

Everything has a purpose.
Sometimes just target practice.

[archangle]

ALL CAPS GIVES ME VERTIGO.