TIL that we have tiny calcium crystals in our ears that, if dislodged, cause terrible vertigo.
TIL that we have tiny calcium crystals in our ears that, if dislodged, cause terrible vertigo.
BPPV occurs when tiny calcium crystals called otoconia come loose from their normal location on the utricle, a sensory organ in the inner ear.
Holy fuck. This sounds exactly like what happened to me a year ago. One day, it came out of nowhere and I thought I was having a stroke. I was too dizzy to do anything and thought I might actually be dying.
After a month, it got a lot better but I still constantly get bouts of it, especially when I bend over. It makes playing with my kids incredibly difficult at times.
If it turns out I have BPPV and my doctors didn’t think to test me for THE MOST COMMON CAUSE of vertigo, ima be… unsurprised 😅
I'm sure you've already looked up the exercise that helps reset those crystals, or at least i hope so This happens to my wife too, and it does the trick but i hear it doesn't always work. Does that method not give you relief?
Now learn about the epley maneuver.
I had bppv a few months ago. It sucks but the epley stuff worked to clear it up.
It's pretty cool that the way you know which way down is, eyes closed, regardless of orientation, is snowglobes in your inner ears.
Proprioception. One of the many senses we have in addition to the supposed "five senses."
Yep. It sucks. My doc joked that we all have rocks in our heads, har har.
It can sometimes be treated with a simple technique (more info below, also mentioned in the article above). When it works, it brings amazing relief.
Unfortunately it doesn't always work. An ENT specialist can help you with it.
The first time I encountered this, it scared the shit out of me. Only by rationally eliminating possibilities was I able to calmly dig in, learn about the Epley Maneuver, and get some relief.
It still pops up on occasion, but a couple of rounds of the Maneuver and I’m usually back to normal.
For the curious, like me
I'm good until part B where I have position my head from my body at a 135-degree angle. I'll have to go get a big protractor.
Is that why I'm sometimes super dizzy for about a day for no apparent reason?
Give the epley maneuver a few tries and see if it gets better.
Assuming I remember the next time it happens. It's super rare but I guess I fix it unintentionally throughout the following night.
I may have experienced this. A couple years ago I was getting over a cold. I blew my nose and instantly experienced severe vertigo. The room looked like it was spinning and it felt like I was on a boat in the middle of a rough storm. I nearly fell over. It took about 15 minutes for the sensation to fully expire.
I kinda wanna have that happen
You do not. I would never wish vertigo on my worst enemy
I wonder if that's what happened to my dad... His hearing has been going bad for years, but right around when it started being noticable that everyone in the family was telling him to get hearing aids, he also was getting random bouts of vertigo.
Can't rule out vestibular migraines. I didn't even know I was having them until I got a really bad headache with the other symptoms. Doctor was able to confirm it as that but it took quite awhile.
That's why instead of drinking milk through my mouth, I ingest it aurally.