BPPV, Vertigo, Concussion and Dizziness

Dizziness can be described as a spinning sensation, light-headedness and feeling unbalanced like being unable to walk in a straight line. Vertigo is a type of dizziness defined as a spinning sensation - feeling like you yourself are spinning or the environment around you is spinning. 

Dizziness is one of the biggest complaints received by family doctors and unfortunately is often left untreated. It can be debilitating, significantly impacting your quality of life and ability to do all the regular things we take for granted.

What can I do to help my dizziness? This all depends what is causing your dizziness.

BPPV is a condition affecting the inner ear which causes spells of dizziness lasting 20 seconds, usually brought on with a change in position. It is caused by small crystals that fall into the semicircular canals in the inner ear. A common treatment approach for BPPV is the Epley maneuver which involves taking the head into a variety of specifically patterned positions to remove the crystals from the canal. This is shown to be a very effective treatment for BPPV and can be carried out by an experienced Physiotherapist.

If you have an issue with your vestibular system and experience ongoing dizziness, there is strong evidence to support a home-based exercise program. A vestibular exercise program combines head and eye movement with different balance exercises to challenge your vestibular system and allow it to adapt and get better.

Finally, concussion can also lead to ongoing dizziness. Often the issue is with the brain and how it processes all the information it receives.  Any mismatch of information will result in a feeling of dizziness. Concussion can be complex but there are many exercises you can do to get back on your feet and get your brain back functioning to full health!

Thanks for reading. Please leave a comment if you have any further questions.

Nichola O’Ceallaigh

Physiotherapist