Privilege Blog

Interesting Maladies, Or, Saturday Morning at 10:02am

No full post today, as I’ve been hit with a bout of vertigo. Did you know we have microscopic crystals in our ears that help us maintain our balance, and sometimes, due to viruses, or impact, or they don’t even know what, the crystals dislodge?

Now you do. The human body is full of surprises.

This is called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. The series of exercises I need to do in correction are absolutely silly. See: the human body is full of surprises.

Anyway, it makes it hard to focus my eyes, so, with any luck, see you next week.

Have a weekend in balance;).

27 Responses

  1. I have a number of friends/family with vertigo. If it doesn’t go away on it’s on, there is a special chair in an ENT’s office which shakes the crystals? Feel better, not serious, but seriously annoying. XO

  2. I’ve been having the same thing lately—miserable, but it does pass. I hope you feel better soon.

  3. It was crazy to read your post this morning – I woke up with the exact same thing! For me it comes along every few years but it’s always pretty freaky, isn’t it? Do you do something called the Epley maneuver? It’s the only thing that’s ever worked for me. I hope it goes away soon for you (and me too)!

  4. I’ve known a few people who have suffered with this and it sounds horrid. Literally unsettling. I hope you get some relief soon. xo

  5. Hi Lisa. I’m sorry to hear about your BPPV. I’ve had it periodically since my mid 20s (back in the ’70s). I know it’s no fun. All the ENTs I’ve seen through the decades have suggested that when I’m in a period where it’s active, I shake my head vigorously from side to side whenever I experience an episode of vertigo. It helps to dislodge the crystals from the semi-circular canal, which is where they wander to and cause all the trouble. It does help! I wish you the best with it. It’s really just a nuisance, but an alarming one.

  6. I have had this happen several times and it’s horrible. I’ve been told by one doctor that once you’ve had it happen, you are likely have it happen again. Lying down does not relieve the nausea. The doctor’s office always makes sure that I can come in as soon as the office is open – it is that much of a priority. Once it happened on a weekend and they prescribed a medication until I could get in to their office. I tried doing the Epley maneuver at home and it just made it worse! Hope you recover soon.

  7. Hope it resolves soon and you feel better. My husband and I have both had this – no fun.

  8. Thinking about you; I have had vertigo; “peripheral vestibular weakness” somehow “figures into” it. Once it was diagnosed I had several weeks of vestibular rehab by a PT especially trained in such. I saw her twice a week and had daily exercises to do at home. It did the trick – at least so far. I was diagnosed in March 2018.
    Was told stress and/or some illnesses can cause it. In my case the docs and PT thought it was the viral infection – streph pneumonia – which I had with/immediately after “flu”/influenza about 2 – 4 weeks before the vertigo AND the stress of moving from my home of nearly 50 years to another city; albeit in the same state and near all my grands at – about the same time . . . . Sending healing thoughts!

  9. Feel better! Vertigo is unpleasant. I know of this, and its accompanying silly exercises because my house host had it. When he began telling his friends about it, there were an impressive number of people with the same condition.

  10. Sorry to hear this. I hope it passes quickly.
    Thanks for letting us know, looking for your blog post on Saturday is one of my Saturday things.

  11. Had it in March and fixed it with one of those silly exercise!!
    It’s on You tube and has a name!!
    I did the manvouer once on one side only and it worked!!!

  12. My son in law struggles with this frequently and it can be so debilitating. Hope you feel better.

  13. I also had episodes of dizziness a few years ago. My diagnosis was disequilibrium. The episodes subsided after a couple months. I had to train my mind to remain calm and ride them out. My doctors said it was likely due to the ear crystals becoming brittle with age and likely to move around. I practice balancing exercises daily so when and if it returns, I have some confidence dealing with it. Good luck, stay positive, you’re not alone

  14. I’ve had this. It’s a pain in the arse but it will go away. It can come and go. Feel better soon. x

  15. It feels horrid. It is common as noted by a number of your commentators. I am a primary care physician and when a patient comes in with this, my anatomical chart book that I use to explain anatomy falls open at the correct page!
    It will get better and yes to physical therapy for it as well. The physical therapists are brilliant.
    Your comments about the world are great!
    Get better soon.

  16. Sorry to hear that you have vertigo…I have had bouts of it too and it is most disturbing. Hope you get some relief soon.

  17. All my sympathies. Vertigo is vile. Soon you will be upright and sprightly once more.

  18. Dr Carol Foster MD. With the university of Colorado came up with a maneuver that always works for me. It ust might help you too. You will find her on utube. It’s such a relief

  19. i first learned about this in a barbara kingsolver novel — the one about chestnut trees. it sounds like a particularly unpleasant form of suffering. wishing you relief soon.

  20. Oh no! I had the same thing last summer and it was shocking how utterly debilitating it was. I had the best results with the series of movements I lovingly call “rock salutations.”

    Search youtube for Carol Foster MD Vertigo Treatment. Her treatment helped me much more than the standard Epley maneuver (during which I pulled a muscle in my neck to add injury to insult).

    I hope this passes quickly!

Comments are closed.