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Benign positional dizziness: causes and treatment

Benign Positional Dizziness: Causes and Treatment

A sudden change in body position or turn of the head can lead to the appearance of a paroxysmal vestibular dizziness called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo( DPPG).Usually this disease affects women and the elderly.

What is the DPPD of

This disease is identified in about 80% of people who seek medical help. Recently, the number of appeals has increased significantly. Most patients are diagnosed with benign dizziness( vertigo).

What is the essence of the problem of DPAH, what is it? Brief description of the disease can be represented as follows:

  • Benign - has no consequences, there is the possibility of self-healing.
  • Paroxysmal - is of a paroxysmal nature.
  • Positional - the disease manifests itself due to a change in the position of the body or head. Dizziness is the main symptom of the disease.

The head can spin in a person with many diseases. They number more than a hundred. But vestibular positional vertigo has distinctive clinical signs, thanks to which the doctor already at the first examination can make a diagnosis.

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How does the vestibular apparatus work?

Before talking about the causes of the paroxysmal positional vertigo, you need to consider how it occurs.

The organ in the inner ear - vestibule - basically has three semicircular canals. Their function is fixation of human movements. The channels contain an ampoule and a certain amount of liquid. The ampoule is an extension, where the gelatin-like substrate, the cupula, is placed. Her movements, which are in interaction with the receptors, contribute to creating a sense of balance of his body.

In the liquid of the ampoule are calcareous formations, called otoliths. When a person performs any actions with his head, the liquid also begins to move. As a result, there is a displacement of the otoliths, which irritate the nerve endings( ciliated cells).

All information about the change of position is transmitted by the ciliated cells to the neural endings of the brain. Because of failures and problems at this stage, a benign paroxysmal dizziness appears in a person. The part of the brain responsible for the balance gives a signal to the muscles, due to which they relax or, conversely, come into a tonus. These processes are aimed at maintaining equilibrium in space. When the otoliths settle, the head stops spinning.

Causes of

The cause of this ailment is still unclear. In a number of other cases benign paroxysmal dizziness is caused by the following factors:

  • Head trauma.
  • Surgical operations on the ear.
  • Prolonged lying position( due to other diseases, recovery from surgery, etc.).
  • Inflammatory ear processes.
  • Spasm of the labyrinthine artery( with migraine).
  • Meniere's disease.
  • Intoxication with alcohol.
  • Consequences of improper treatment.

Classification of DPPG

The classification of positional vertigo is based on the mechanism of its development. Lime crystals( otoliths) can freely move in the semicircular canal fluid, irritating the receptors during head turns. This is canalolithiasis. When the otoliths are localized on the canal wall( the cupula) and constantly interact with the receptors - cupulolithiasis.

During the diagnosis, both the side of the lesion( left-sided, right-sided) and the semicircular canal( external, posterior, anterior) are taken into account, in which pathological changes occurred.

Distinctive features of

The following signs characterize paroxysmal positional dizziness:

  • Vertigo attacks start and end unexpectedly.
  • After a day they no longer repeat.
  • The patient feels better after the attack.
  • Symptoms may appear: heat, sweating, nausea and pale skin.
  • The recovery period after illness is fast enough.

The above features of PPVH will help to recognize it among other diseases, the symptom of which is dizziness.

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Clinic. The appearance of benign paroxysmal paroxysmal dizziness is associated with head movements. Usually, the disease affects only part of the head, since one hemisphere of the brain( or ear) remains untouched.

Clinical features of DPPH are as follows:

  • Dizziness appears mainly when the head( s) of the head, not the trunk, rotates. Usually it occurs in the daytime or in the morning, for example, after waking up when getting out of bed.
  • A person can feel that he is somewhere falling through or rising, he is shaking, things are spinning around.
  • Symptoms may include nausea, sweating, vomiting, and irregular heartbeat.
  • There are no additional complaints( pain in the head, tinnitus, hearing loss) in patients.
  • One attack lasts no more than one or two minutes.
  • A dizziness attack may be accompanied by nystagmus. It is involuntary movements of the eyeball. After the attack subsides, the nystagmus disappears.

The disease is well treatable, it does not represent a serious danger to the patient's life. But if a person has been diagnosed as benign positional vertigo, he should stop diving under water and climbing to a height. After proper treatment, the disease can subside for a long time, but after 4-5 years, seizures usually return.

Views of doctors about the treatment of

In 1969, a theory was advanced about the origin of benign paroxysmal dizziness - the "theory of dome-shaped".Its author( Schuknecht scientist) said that with age, calcium deposits occur in a person on otoliths, which contribute to the weighting of lime crystals, and they change their neutral position. In this regard, the position of the human body and the force of gravity that affects it, affect the appearance of RPGP.

Ten years later, scientists McClar, Hall and Ruby put forward the theory of "canalolithiasis."According to this theory, the particles of statoconia that move along the canal and excite the receptors provoke the appearance of positional vertigo, while the otoliths do not participate. When the particles are at the lowest point of the channel, the attack disappears.

Scientists of modern medicine criticize the above theories. They say that statokonievye particles are able to break away, even when the human body is stationary. They call the following reasons for their rejection, resulting in benign dizziness:

  • Head trauma.
  • Meniere's disease.
  • Some antibacterial drugs( Gentamicin).
  • Frequent migraines.
  • Wrong treatment by surgery.


In case of recurring attacks, consult a clinic for specialist advice. The doctor, for an accurate diagnosis, will appoint the necessary examinations.

Physical examination

The most common method that helps to identify positional dizziness is the Dix-Hallpike test. The procedure is as follows:

  • The patient needs to sit on the couch and turn his head at a certain angle to the side.
  • The doctor, holding the person's head with his hands, sharply puts it back on the couch( on the back) in such a way that the head is slightly further to the edge of the surface on which the patient lies.

The patient will need to report the onset of dizziness. It can not worry right away, but after a while.

During positional dizziness, eyeballs rotate involuntarily. This phenomenon was called nystagmus. The doctor determines in which part of the semicircular canal there is a pathology according to the nature of the nystagmus and the time of its appearance.

Instrumental studies of

For better visual observation of nystagmus, there is a practice of applying Blessing glasses or Frenzel glasses, electrooculography and video oculography.

Along with the above methods of diagnosis, the patient can refer to an MRI or computed tomography of the brain, to the x-ray of the cervical region.

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The doctor will prescribe the necessary treatment as a result of the examination. Some patients, who have positional vertigo, do not need treatment, as it passes by itself.

Non-pharmacological treatment of

This therapy gives a very good effect. It consists in the patient performing positional maneuvers( changing the position of the body and head).When performing the exercises, an attack of benign paroxysmal positional dizziness is possible. Also worth remembering is that some sets of exercises should be performed under the strict supervision of a specialist. All the maneuvers the patient performs sitting on the couch, lowering his legs down.

Brandt-Daroff maneuver

These exercises can be performed independently, the number of repetitions is five times in each direction. Progress:

  1. Accept the initial position.
  2. Lie on the side( legs slightly bent) and turn the head to the side by 45 degrees. Lying for 30 seconds.
  3. To sit down.
  4. Lie on the opposite side.
  5. To sit down.

If the exercise is accompanied by the appearance of benign positional vertigo, you should wait until the attack passes and continue on.

Demonstration maneuver

This complex of exercises should be done under the guidance of a doctor, as in the process, the appearance of nausea and other severe reactions is possible.

To perform the exercises a person needs to adopt a certain position. The next step - the doctor fixes the patient's head with his hands, it should be turned to the side by 45 degrees. Further - the patient sinks on his side and stays in this position for a couple of minutes. Then he sits down again and immediately lays down in the same way the other way for two minutes, after which it is necessary to sit down. All this time the head is in an unchanged position.

This complex of exercises causes contradictory attitude among doctors. Some recommend a more sparing exercise, others, on the contrary, consider this complex to be the most effective, even if benign paroxysmal positional dizziness has a severe form.

The maneuver of Epley and Lempert

This maneuver also presupposes the presence of a physician. The doctor, holding the patient's head, puts it sharply on his back( his head goes over the edge of the couch).So the patient lies about a minute, and then he needs to turn his head in the opposite direction, gradually turning and torso. So you need to lie down for 30-60 minutes, and then return to the starting position.

A similar exercise is Lempert's maneuver. When it is performed, the patient during the exercise turns completely: first in one direction, then on the stomach, then - on a sore ear and sits down. It turns out that during the exercise a person turns around his axis.

Medical treatment

In order to alleviate the condition of a patient suffering from benign paroxysmal dizziness, medication can be used. It will help to get rid of nausea and other unpleasant symptoms. If the seizures are repeated often, the patient must comply with bed rest.

The goal of treating such dizziness with drugs is to improve the general condition of the patient. At the same time they can prescribe medications that will help to normalize blood circulation in the vessels of the brain.

In severe cases, a surgical procedure can be performed. With its help, the semicircular canal is filled with bone chips. The method of surgical intervention is used only in severe cases, since there is a risk of serious complications. There is no specific drug treatment for DPG.

Benign positional vertigo has a favorable prognosis for recovery. DPAH is a safe disease and does not pose a threat to human life.



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