Written by Dr. Jennifer Donath
Struggling with dizziness? The eyes are not just “windows to the soul”, but they are also windows to the balance organ in the inner ear.
The most common cause of dizziness in the inner ear is called Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo (BPPV). In layman’s terms, it occurs when the crystals in the inner ear become loose and migrate to a different part of the balance organ called the semicircular canals. The “benign” part of the diagnosis is an important keyword because the crystals do belong in the inner ear–they are just provoking dizziness because the loose crystals are making contact with the nerve endings every time you change positions, such as lying down to go to bed, rolling over in bed, and getting up in the morning. Given that BPPV is not a disease or a sickness, it is considered a mechanical problem that can be resolved by performing a physical maneuver. The purpose of the maneuver is to relocate the loose crystals back to where they belong where motion provoked dizziness does not occur and the loose crystals dissolve.
Identifying BPPV requires an audiologist to perform a specific maneuver. If and when the dizziness provokes, the eyes will move reflexively with a slow and fast phase called a nystagmus. The direction of the nystagmus, along with noting if the ocular reflex has a rotational component, identifies the specific semicircular canal where the crystals have migrated. Hence, the eyes are not just “windows to the soul”, but they are also windows to the balance organ in the inner ear.
Upon a successful maneuver to treat BPPV, patients can feel 100% back to normal. If you think you or a loved one are suffering from this treatable condition, schedule an appointment today with any of the experienced clinical audiologists at Advanced Specialty Care’s Danbury, New Milford, Ridgefield or Norwalk offices—call (203) 830-4700 or click here to fill out an appointment request form.
— Jennifer Donath, Au.D.
— Jennifer Donath, Au.D.Dr. Jennifer Donath is a board-certified Audiologist treating adult & pediatric patients in Advanced Specialty Care’s Danbury, Ridgefield & Norwalk offices.
ADVANCED SPECIALTY CARE
Call (203) 830-4700 or request an appointment online to schedule with one of our Audiology specialists at any of our convenient office locations in Danbury, New Milford, Norwalk and Ridgefield, CT.
