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It can also occur a long time after another inner ear problem such as labyrinthitis or Ménière’s disease. It can also occur after any type of even minor head trauma, even as small as a violent sneeze or hitting your head on a cabinet, and with major head trauma or after a concussion. It is commonly seen in the elderly without an underlying cause identified. If you stay in that position and open your eyes, within a few seconds the brain figures it out and you stop “whirling.” But this is a scary feeling, so most people with BPPV don’t stay in that position or open their eyes.īPPV can occur spontaneously, that is, without a real cause. So, when you turn your head into those certain positions, the rock pushes on the canal, and the brain thinks you are whirling around.
![dizzy when i close my eyes dizzy when i close my eyes](https://cdn.diabetesselfmanagement.com/2020/08/dsm-dizziness-and-diabetes-shutterstock_569832868.jpg)
This usually affects the posterior of the three balance canals on that side, because that’s the lowest one and the rock follows the rules of gravity. In BPPV, a rock or two gets dislodged from the organ and falls towards the balance canals. The gravity organs have tiny calcium carbonate crystals in them, which are often referred to as “rocks.” In the inner ear, we have balance canals that detect movement, and balance organs that detect gravity.
![dizzy when i close my eyes dizzy when i close my eyes](https://noravisionrehab.org/uploads/general/balance.jpg)
The way we maintain balance when we move about is by the complex interactions of both inner ears, the eyes, the muscles down your back, and soles of the feet, and how all of these get processed in the brain. Vertigo-You feel like you are spinning, or the world around you is spinning. Positional-Certain head positions or movements can trigger a spell. Paroxysmal (par-ek-siz-muhl)-It comes in sudden, short spells. BPPV is a specific diagnosis and each word describes the condition:īenign-It is not life-threatening, even though the symptoms can be very intense and upsetting. It can occur just once or twice, or it can last days or weeks, or, rarely, for months. BPPV is the most common inner ear problem and cause of vertigo, or false sense of spinning. Certain medications may be recommended to treat persistent nystagmus, but not all practitioners agree that these medications are effective or that their side effects outweigh their benefits.If so, there’s a good chance you have benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV (commonly known as “having rocks in the head”). Nystagmus is usually temporary and resolves on its own or improves with time. Although it is not typically an emergency, pendular nystagmus should be assessed promptly.ĭepending on associated symptoms, the doctor may order tests such as a brain MRI or blood work to rule out a potentially dangerous cause such as stroke. People experiencing pendular nystagmus for the first time should see a neurologist or neuro-ophthalmologist. When nystagmus is a new symptom and occurs with new dizziness or vertigo, the patient should get prompt medical attention. Pendular nystagmus can result from brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis, but can be a congenital problem as well. Jerk nystagmus usually results from diseases affecting the inner ear balance mechanisms or the back part of the brain (brainstem or cerebellum). Nystagmus usually causes blurry vision in addition to jumping vision. When nystagmus is related to a problem involving the vestibular system in the inner ear or the brain, vertigo, dizziness or loss of balance are almost always present. Oscillopsia, or the illusory sensation that the stationary visual world is moving, is the major symptom experienced by patients with nystagmus.