There are many possible causes of dizziness, ranging from dehydration to dysfunctions of the inner ear. However, by far the leading cause of dizziness is a condition called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, or BPPV.
BPPV is positional by nature and often causes dizziness when you roll over in bed, look back to wash your hair, or make quick movements. This dizziness may feel like a spinning sensation, where the room around you in moving.
Why does this happen?
Inside our inner ear we have small structures called otolith’s, or crystals. These crystals can become loose following a head trauma, an infection, or as a result of ageing. If the crystals find their way into one of our semi-circular canals, fluid in the canals begins to move differently. Consequently, when we turn our head, the crystals send a false signal to our brain and we feel dizziness and nausea.
Can this be treated?
Yes! Our ENT doctors and Physical Therapists can identify if the cause of your dizziness is from BPPV. From here, a maneuver will be performed to re-position the crystal back into the utricle. Once all the crystals have been re-positioned, your dizziness should go away within 24 hours.