Are my crystals out? What is BPPV, and how can I get rid of it?

BPPV: benign peripheral paroxysmal vertigo.

This conditions is not serious or life-threatening; however, it can be very life limiting. Your dizziness, loss of balance, and nausea can prevent you from engaging and enjoying your life.

Pictures of the crystals and how they are in the semicircular canal causing BPPV

https://www.3dphysio.com.au/bppv

BPPV is easily diagnosed and treated in clinic. Your physician or physical therapist will put you through small head position tests and will be able to determine which area the crystals are out of place. These testing positions are often the first position to putting them back where they belong. The repositioning maneuvers can be repeated as needed. They will cause dizziness but usually resolve your dizziness in one to two attempts.

How do I keep this from happening again? Unfortunately, there is not anything you can do to prevent them from coming out again. However, you now know how quickly they can be put back. We can educate you on how to perform the maneuvers yourself at home for any future needs. The best thing is to avoid large and prolonged head movements for the next few hours, be and act normally, sleep normally. You should return to normal feeling and activities within the next 24-72 hours.

Women leaned up against a wall holding her head and feeling dizzy

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Why did this happen in the first place?

BPPV is something that becomes more common the older we get with the peak occurrence being around our 7th decade. However, any kind of trauma to the head can cause the crystals to fall where they should not be. Once your crystals have moved, there is a higher likelihood of it occurring again. The best thing is to teach you how to identify it and treat at home as quickly as you can so you can get back to your life.