Dizziness & Vertigo
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
What is BPPV?
BPPV is an inner ear problem. It causes brief but sometimes severe feelings of spinning. Some people feel that their head or body is spinning. Others feel the room is spinning.
BPPV happens suddenly when you change the position of your head.
How does it occur?
In the inner part of your ear are 3 semicircular canals. Movement of the fluid in these canals helps your brain maintain your balance and know what position you are in.
There are usually small crystals of calcium (otoconia) in the central compartment. Sometimes, these crystals float into the semi-circular canal. This can happen after a head injury, with a severe cold, or simply as a part of normal aging. The crystals can cause vertigo when you change head position and they strike against nerves in the semi-circular canals. Usually the calcium crystals dissolve in a few weeks and stop causing vertigo. However, sometimes the crystals do not dissolve and the vertigo returns from time to time.
What are the symptoms?
A sudden feeling that you are spinning, or that the room is spinning, is the main symptom. You may feel the vertigo when you first wake up. It may seem that any turn of your head brings on brief but intense spells of vertigo. It may happen when you tilt your head, look up or down, or roll over in bed.
You may have nausea and vomiting along with the vertigo. Even if a spell of vertigo is brief, you may have a feeling of queasiness for several minutes or even hours afterward.
How is it diagnosed?
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and examine you. You may also be given a Dix-Hallpike position test. A hearing test may also be done.
How is it treated?
Usually an Epley maneuver is done to reposition the crystals. It can be very helpful.
Rarely, when the Epley maneuver doesn’t help and the vertigo has not gone away, severe and persistent cases may rarely require surgery.
How long will the effects last?
Even without treatment, positional vertigo usually goes away within several weeks. Sometimes it recurs despite treatment.
How do I take care of myself?
Do not try to drive, operate tools or machinery, that could endanger yourself or others if you suddenly become dizzy. Do not lie down flat for 3 days. Lie down at a semi-reclined position.
Dizziness & Vertigo (BPD) - Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (PVP) ni ugonjwa wa kupunguzwa kwa fahamu (BPD) unaosababishwa na hali ya kupunguka kwa fahamu (BPD). BPPV ni tatizo la sikio la ndani. Husababisha hisia fupi lakini nyakati nyingine kali za kuzunguka-zunguka. Watu wengine wanahisi kwamba kichwa au mwili wao unazunguka. Wengine huhisi kwamba chumba kinazunguka-zunguka. BPPV ni ugonjwa wa ghafla, ambayo hutokea wakati mtu anapobadilisha msimamo wa kichwa chake. Jambo hilo hutukiaje? Katika sehemu ya ndani ya sikio kuna mifereji mitatu ya nusu mviringo. Mageuzi ya kioevu katika mifereji hii husaidia ubongo wako kudumisha usawa na kujua ni nafasi gani unayo. Kwa kawaida kuna fuwele ndogo za kalsiamu (otoconia) katika sehemu ya katikati. Nyakati nyingine, fuwele hizo huelea ndani ya mfereji huo wenye umbo la nusu mviringo. Hii inaweza kutokea baada ya jeraha la kichwa, kwa baridi kali, au tu kama sehemu ya kuzeeka kwa kawaida. Vipande vya kioo vinaweza kusababisha vertigo wakati unabadilisha msimamo wa kichwa na vinashambulia neva katika mifereji ya nusu mviringo. Kwa kawaida fuwele za kalsiamu huyeyuka baada ya majuma machache na kuacha kusababisha kichefuchefu. Hata hivyo, nyakati nyingine fuwele hizo hazivunjiki na kichefuchefu hurudi mara kwa mara. Dalili hizo ni zipi? Hisia ya ghafula kwamba unazunguka, au kwamba chumba kinazunguka, ndiyo dalili kuu. Unaweza kuhisi kizunguzungu unapomkumbuka. Huenda ikaonekana kwamba kugeuka-geuka kwa kichwa chako kunasababisha kichefuchefu cha muda mfupi lakini chenye nguvu. Inaweza kutokea unapopiga kichwa chako, unapotazama juu au chini, au unapozunguka kitandani. Huenda ukaanza kuugua na kutapika pamoja na kichefuchefu. Hata kama hali ya kichefuchefu ni fupi, huenda ukaanza kuwa na kichefuchefu kwa dakika kadhaa au hata saa kadhaa baadaye. Ugonjwa huo hugunduliwaje? Daktari wako atakuuliza kuhusu dalili zako na kukuchunguza. Unaweza pia kupewa mtihani wa msimamo wa Dix-Hallpike. Pia, huenda akafanya mtihani wa kusikia. Inatibiwaje? Kwa kawaida utaratibu wa Epley hufanywa ili kuweka tena fuwele. Inaweza kukusaidia sana. Mara chache, wakati maneuver ya Epley haisaidii na vertigo haijaondoka, kesi kali na za kudumu zinaweza kudai upasuaji. Athari hizo zitaendelea kwa muda gani? Hata bila matibabu, kwa kawaida kichefuchefu cha mahali hupungua baada ya majuma kadhaa. Nyakati nyingine huendelea hata baada ya kutibiwa. Ninawezaje kujitunza? Usijaribu kuendesha gari, kutumia vifaa au mashine, ambayo inaweza kuhatarisha wewe mwenyewe au wengine kama wewe ghafla kuwa na kizunguzungu. Usilale chini kwa siku tatu. Lala chini katika nafasi ya nusu-reclined.