Vertigo

Vertigo-the sensation of lost balance and whirling-is most commonly caused by abnormalities that affect the inner ear.

What is Vertigo?

Sensation of whirling and loss of balance, associated particularly with looking down from a great height or caused by disease affecting the inner ear or vestibular nerve - according to Google.

What is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo?

The sudden sensation that you're spinning or that the inside of your head is spinning - Mayo Clinic

Prevalence of Vertigo

• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is the cause of approximately 50% of dizziness in older adults
• Makes up 20% of diagnoses by physicians specializing in vestibular rehabilitation
• Nearly 60% of emergency room visits per year are related to vertigo/dizziness in some way
• Of the 3 canals we possess, the most commonly affected is the posterior canal
• Approximately 15-20% of all cases are in the horizontal canal
• It is extremely rare for the anterior canal to be affected
• Each canal can be treated by a specific set of timed head movements by a trained therapist

Symptoms of Vertigo

• Feeling of dizziness or "spinning" with head movement or changing positions
• Loss of balance when walking
• Presence of nausea or vomiting with dizziness

• Some causes of vestibular dysfunction:
• Degeneration of hair cells in inner ear
• Viral or bacterial infection
• Alterations in ear pressure
• Head trauma
• Calcium particles in the semicircular canals

A trained therapist can treat these symptoms with a series of timed head movements and education in exercise, to assist with decreasing the likelihood of recurrence.