What does BPPV mean?

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common form of vertigo, or the sensation of illusionary spinning, when changing positon of one’s head.

What does BPPV Mean?

-        Benign:                 Not life threatening, not harmful in effect

-        Paroxysmal:         Sudden, brief spells

-        Positional:            Triggered by certain head movement or positions  

-        Vertigo:                  An illusionary sense of spinning movement

What is BPPV?

BPPV is a mechanical disorder of the inner ear and occurs when microscopic crystals in the inner ear dislodge from their normal position and move into one of the ear canals – where they shouldn’t be. These canals are filled with liquid and when the crystals get logged in a canal, they disrupt the normal movement of the fluid which send false spinning signals to the brain and vertigo occurs.

BPPV is a common condition in adults and can happen without warning and for no particular reason, but can also be triggered by trauma, an inner ear infection or a migraine attack. The good news is that BPPV is fairly easy to treat and responds well to therapy after proper diagnosis by a doctor.

 BPPV Treatment

Medications are, generally, not effective but mechanical therapy in form of repositioning maneuvers helps the majority of BPPV cases. Repositioning maneuvers help to guide the microscopic crystals our from the ear canal and back into their rightful position in the ear. Successful treatment may require two or three sessions of therapy.

If you suspect you might have BPPV, contact Khema’s ENT center for a consultation.