“Stop the world… I want to get off!”

A few weeks ago, I turned over in bed in the middle of the night and the room started spinning so violently I was afraid I was going to be thrown out of bed. It seemed a condition called ‘vertigo’ had come to pay me a visit. I am not alone. Vertigo accounts for over 7.5 million medical visits in the U.S. each year. It is thought to affect up to 30% of the population at any given time and the distribution between male and female is about equal.

The technical definition of vertigo is “the feeling that you or your environment is moving when no movement occurs.” The two main reasons we experience vertigo are problems in the inner ear and problems in the brain. It is very important to see your doctor when you first experience vertigo so he or she can determine the seriousness of the problem.

My incident a few weeks ago was my second. It had happened about the same time last year. My doctor determined I had a combination of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo and allergies. BPPV is when the little hairs in your inner ear get tiny bits of calcium deposits on them, restricting their natural free-flow movement. In other words, they get stuck. It usually happens in one ear at a time.

The first time this happened, my doctor went through a set of movements with me called Epley Maneuver, which worked quite well. I decided to try it again.  Photo included here.
It goes like this:

You start sitting up, then briskly lie on your back with your head turned to the symptomatic side at a 45 degree angle and hold for 30-60 seconds. This may make you dizzy for about 10 seconds. I know it did me.

Next, turn you head to the other side and keep it in that position for another 30-60 seconds.
Finally, roll in the same direction onto your side, turning your head so that it is pointed about 45 degrees, nose down. Hold for another 30-60 seconds.

Return to sitting with your head tilted down a bit. Have someone help you through this because you’ll probably get dizzy every time you change positions at first. You may even be a bit nauseous. Repeat the whole maneuver two more times and do it three times a day. As the little hairs start flowing smoothly, the vertigo should gradually lessen and then finally disappear.

My first day was miserable, the second, I was about 50% better, the third, 75%, and on the fourth day, the vertigo had totally subsided. This, coupled with taking Clariton for the fluid in my inner ear, worked for me. If I wasn’t better by the fifth day, I would have gone back to my doctor. I’m not big on self-diagnosis.

In talking with others who have experienced vertigo, I learned other things that can trigger vertigo are viruses, food allergies and sometimes, just sleeping with your head at a wrong angle.

Remember, see your doctor first. You can find the Epley Maneuver on-line, with pictures which are very helpful.
Here’s to your world spinning happily without your feeling it.

Mary Ann Carlson is owner of The Pilates Studio. You can reach her at 541-890-7703