Learn The Truth About Vertigo Exercises






by John F Petersone


Vertigo is the sensation of movement of yourself or your environment. The main symptoms of benign positional vertigo consist of short, at times it can be severe attacks of a rotational vertigo with or without nausea. This is the result of fast changes in the position of the head. Some common triggers include the act of lying down or sitting up in bed, bending over to pick something off the ground, rolling over in bed and looking up at the sky or ceiling. If the sensation of benign positional vertigo comes on while you are upright, you could be in danger of falling. These types of episodes usually occur in the mornings and can be most frequent during the first movement in your position after sleep, it is usual for repeated changes in position to cause less and less of the symptoms. There is a very predictable history with benign positional vertigo and a diagnosis can often be made on this alone.

Benign positional vertigo is the most common cause of vertigo, across all age groups not just in the elderly. It is so common that about one in three people over the age of seventy have experienced benign positional vertigo at least once. There are some interesting facts about this disorder, such as its causative factors and the different statistics between males and females that are affected. A second point about benign positional vertigo is that it is classified as a benign condition and this can sometimes affect the approach to treatment. And lastly what are some common curative approaches for benign positional vertigo including the most effective and recommended cure.

No age group all the way from the young to the elderly is immune from suffering the effects of benign positional vertigo. However, it most commonly occurs in old age as it is a condition of degeneration of sorts, with the highest incidences in the age group of 60-70 years old. Approximately over ninety percent of cases are classified as degenerative or idiopathic, which mean the exact cause is unknown. Women tend to suffer this type of vertigo twice more often then men. In the cases that are caused by trauma, injuries or infection of the vestibular nerve which are called symptomatic cases the gender distribution is even. Extended bed rest from other illness or after an operation are also causative factors.

Because the cause of this vertigo is not directly life threatening like a tumor or stroke, it is referred to as a benign condition. Unfortunately this can also lead to a casual treatment approach of being told "it will just get better" or "it's nothing serious". While it is benign it can still result in a fall which can have more serious consequences and it can affect work or everyday activities. It is believed that in about half of cases it take 1 month to receive a proper diagnosis and up to 6 months for 10 percent of individuals. In about thirty percent of people the symptoms will persist if not treated appropriately. Due to the causative factor the condition does reoccur usually in about fifteen percent of cases.

The most trusted theory behind the mechanism causing benign positional vertigo involves loose particles. Within our fluid filled balance organs called semicircular canals in our inner ear, we have receptors like little hairs that detect our head movement and communicate this to the brain so we have a sense of our balance. Now due to trauma or spontaneous degeneration some particles or debris in these canals can come loose and interfere with the receptors signals, often resulting in the sending of increased signals and causing an increase perception of movement and thus the feeling of vertigo.

Now because of this mechanical problem the best vertigo treatment is not medication. Medication may assist in helping depress the severity of the vertigo or nausea but it is certainly not correcting the cause of the problem. There are some specific things that can be done to help, without drugs and without surgery. They have been proven by research to be very effective at helping. In fact many of my patients feel the benefits almost immediately. But they must be done carefully or correctly or they can end up causing more harm than good.




About the Author: