Feeling dizzy can be great when you’re young and rolling down a hill or spinning on a chair, but for some people it is especially debilitating and no fun at all. Dizziness or vertigo can often happen with no obvious reason. Alot of times, people report waking up one day and suddenly feeling dizzy when standing up, leaning down to tie their shoes, or even rolling over in bed.
To some people it may just seem like an annoying sensation that they have to endure. However, when the elderly experience dizziness, it can lead to much greater injuries. As we age, we begin to lose more and more receptors in our balance systems and often these changes are so gradual that people do not even realise they are experiencing abnormal levels of dizziness. Dizziness is the most common complaint at GP’s in people over the age of 75 and is the most common cause for falls in the elderly. In fact, there is a direct link between the presence of dizziness/vestibular disorders and the frequency of falls.
Bening Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
BPPV is the most common cause of dizziness and the most common vertigo condition that is seen in physiotherapy practices. This condition often happens with no real cause and people often report waking up one day and feeling the room spinning. This is often caused by crystals in a part of the inner ear known as the semicircular canals, becoming loose and rubbing back and forth against the receptors. This results in confused messages being sent to the brain which is perceived as a dizziness sensation.
Symptoms of BPPV include:
• Brief vertigo lasting less than 1 minute
• Symptoms only being triggered by head movement and no vertigo when lying still
• Headache
• Blurred vision
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Imbalance
Physiotherapy can help if you have BPPV by performing maneuvers with the head that assist to move the problematic crystals throughout your inner ear. This has been shown to significantly reduce your levels of dizziness. Firstly, a physiotherapist will have to identify exactly which side and which canal the crystal are loose. They will do this by asking you a few questions about what brings on your dizziness and also getting you to move your head in different positions to attempt to bring on your vertigo.
Once the affected canal has been identified, you will be instructed through some exercises which will turn your head and neck in specific directions for a specific amount of time to help guide the crystals out of the canal. Some people find that one set of exercises can help the symptoms of dizziness while another may need a couple of rounds of exercises. Once the vertigo settles down, it is recommended to undergo balance exercises to restore the balance systems ability to keep you upright and reduce the likelihood of recurrence or falling over.
Vestibular Neuritis
Vestibular neuritis is a condition that causes vertigo, dizziness and a sensation of falling over. This occurs when the vestibular nerve becomes inflamed and sends confusing information to the brain. It often occurs after having a viral infection or surgery. Vestibular Neuritis is often described as partial or complete and can affect one or both sides.
Symptoms tend to be different to BPPV in that:
• Vertigo is constant for the first few days
• Not positional and can occur with any movement
• Feels more “spacy” and “blurry”
• Can feel symptoms even at rest with the eyes closed
To determine if you have Vestibular Neuritis, a physiotherapist will challenge your balance and eye reflexes by getting you to move your head in relation to your eyes and see what movements bring on your symptoms. Depending on how you perform will determine the type of exercises you will need to do to improve your dizziness.
If you or anyone you know has dizziness that you can’t seem to get rid of, dizziness that’s affecting your day, or have fallen because you have felt dizziness, know that there is a way to help and you can benefit from seeing one of our physiotherapists to ensure correct treatment. Please get in touch with us on 9672 6752 (Kellyville) or 9871 2022 (Carlingford) and one of our friendly receptionists will be able to arrange an appointment for you.
