Benign Positional Vertigo
By "vertigo" we mean the illusion of moving space while we feel motionless, or the illusion of moving ourselves in a seemingly motionless space.
The most common cause of vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, a harmless but disturbing condition that often afflicts patients for long periods of time.
Symptoms
Intense attacks of vertigo with rotation of space, lasting seconds or minutes, associated with specific positions of the head, without affecting hearing. There is nausea and a tendency to vomit or vomiting, with a feeling of unsteadiness in walking and dizziness after the attack.
Diagnosis
The patient's history largely guides the doctor towards the diagnosis. Clinical examination is essential to check for possible pathology from the ears and other ENT areas. Squatting tests (Dix-Hallpike) quickly and painlessly identify the problem. Auditory testing determines hearing acuity.
Treatment
Treatment of positional vertigo is very quick in the doctor's office without the need for medication. The head is turned to specific positions by the physician, which results in the disturbed labyrinth returning to its original state and the patient ceasing to feel dizzy immediately. These manipulations are called Epley manipulations or ear canal repositioning manipulations and have a very high success rate.
Patient activity instructions are given for the first two 24 hours, followed by a standard review one week after the first manipulation session.