Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, or BPPV, as it’s commonly known, is a type of Peripheral Vertigo that is caused by inner ear issues. BPPV is by far the most common type of Vertigo that people experience. It’s primary marker is that it causes the patients to feel dizzy all of a sudden, along with a feeling that their surroundings are moving or spinning.
The condition is usually not serious, as suggested by the term ‘Benign’ in its name, & the symptoms last for a short while before dissipating on their own. As the term ‘positional’ suggests, the symptoms are triggered by any kind of changes in the body’s or the head’s position, or movement in any specific direction.
BPPV is quite common, & can be easily treated by a Vertigo specialist. BPPV is usually not fatal or life-threatening, unless you feel dizzy during activities that require complete focus & control, for example, driving, rock climbing, trekking, climbing up & down the stairs, operating heavy machinery, etc.
BPPV Symptoms:
BPPV can occur anytime you move, or tilt your head in a specific direction or movement. Although BPPV symptoms can vary from person to person, there are some which are extremely common among a majority of BPPV patients. These symptoms include:
- A feeling of the surroundings spinning,
- Nausea,
- Vomiting
- General unsteadiness
- Lightheadedness
If you experience all of these symptoms for at least a few weeks, wherein they come & go, then you should visit a doctor.
Before going to the doctor however, you can figure out which of your ears is affected by BPPV by performing a simple test.
Here is how you can do this:
- Sit on your bed so that your head hangs over the edge when lying down.
- Now turn your head to the right & quickly lie down.
- Wait a minute or so. If you feel dizzy, then it means that the right side is affected by BPPV.
- However if no dizziness occurs, then sit up, wait for a while, repeat the test on your left side.
- If on repeating the test you feel any dizziness, then that means that the left side is the affected side.
BPPV Causes:
There are tiny calcium crystals inside the ear which are generally called otoconia. When these crystals get displaced from their original position in the ear & get deposited inside the semicircular canal of the inner ear, they cause problems with the body’s balance. These crystals, by virtue of their being motion sensitive, elicit false sensations of dizziness & motion every time the patient moves their head, thus causing dizziness & issues with balance.
Your BPPV symptoms can be triggered anytime you:
- Roll over to your side in the bed,
- Get in & out of the bed,
- Bend over for a yoga pose,
- Moving your head forward or back during any activity,
- Any kind of quick head movements
Your doctor will also look for rhythmic eye movements called nystagmus when determining if you have BPPV symptoms or not.
BPPV Treatment:
BPPV often goes away on its own. In cases where it doesn’t, your doctor will likely perform certain BPPV exercises to move the displaced calcium crystals back to their original position.
These Vertigo exercises include exercises like the Epley Maneuver, the Brandt-Daroff exercises, & the Semont maneuver.
Below, we tell you how to perform these Vertigo exercises that are used in Vertigo treatment for BPPV.
Brandt - Daroff Exercises:
The Brandt-Daroff exercises are a set of movements used in Vertigo treatment for BPPV. They can either be performed at home, or by expert Vertigo doctors & specialists.
To perform the Brandt-Daroff exercises, follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Sit down on the edge of a bed or a couch,
- Lie down on your left side while turning your head to look upwards. Try to perform both of these movements within 1 to 2 seconds of each other. Also try to keep your head up at a 45 degree angle for about 30 seconds.
- Next, sit up for 30 seconds.
- Repeat these steps on the right side.
- Perform the steps 4 more times, a total of 5 repetitions in each set & side.
- Next, sit up. You may feel a little dizzy or lightheaded, which is pretty normal & tends to go away on its own. Wait for it to pass before moving on with your day.
You should ideally perform one set of Brandt-Daroff exercises in the morning, one in the afternoon, & one in the evening. Performing one set of the exercises should take about 10 minutes. For the best results, try performing the exercises for 14 consecutive days after experiencing an episode of vertigo.
Success rate of Brandt-Daroff & its benefits:
Medical researchers peg the success of Brandt-Daroff exercises at about 80 percent. The symptoms eventually return for about 30 percent of people.
The risks of performing the Brandt-Daroff exercises:
Like every other Vertigo & BPPV exercise, the Brandt-Daroff exercises can also trigger dizziness, fatigue, & nausea after performing. The attack can be especially severe if you are performing the Vertigo exercises for the first time. Due to this, you should take care not to drive immediately after performing the Brandt-Daroff exercises, & have someone else accompany you to the session.
If you’ve also been performing the Epley Exercises for Vertigo treatment for BPPV, then you should wait at least 2 days before performing the Brandt-Daroff exercises. The Brandt-Daroff exercises are considered to be relatively safer & easier than other Vertigo exercises. They are also easier to perform & give results in a smaller window of time than other BPPV exercises.
