All About Positional Vertigo

Positional vertigo is related to an inner ear problem that causes dizziness, whirling sensations, or spinning sensations when the patient moves the head. The dizziness doesn’t usually last very long, typically less than one minute. However, the symptoms can be mild or severe, ranging from slight dizziness to severe nausea.

Do not mistake light-headedness for vertigo. Light-headedness is a slight dizzy sensation. With vertigo, the patient actually feels as though they are spinning out of sync with their environment, or that the environment is spinning out of sync with themselves.

Scientists don’t really know what causes positional vertigo. There is suspicion that it is caused by calcium particles within the ear that break off and float around the inner ear. The inner ear functions have a lot of effect on balance. If the brain is receiving signals from one ear different than the other, the brain then becomes confused as to the position of the body. This break up of calcium could be caused by medications taken for other symptoms or illness, certain diseases, or a head injury. Again, doctors don’t know for sure that this is the true cause of positional vertigo.

The symptoms of positional vertigo include dizziness, imbalance, or a spinning sensation, varying from mild to severe. Visual symptoms can also occur, such as the patient noticing objects moving or jumping when they should not. These symptoms occur when the head is moved in certain ways, especially if the head is moved quickly, tilted downward, tossed to the side as when rolling over in bed, or other head movements. Typically the symptoms will go away as the movement is repeated two to four times. However, the symptoms will return after several hours between head movements.

Positional vertigo is typically diagnosed by a doctor through a series of tests. The tests may include hearing tests, and tests to evaluate eye movement during a series of head movements. The doctor may also ask the patient to lie back suddenly while the doctor holds the patients head, and looks carefully for eye movements during the head or body movement. To ensure that the diagnosis is correct, and the vertigo is not a symptom of another, more serious problem, other tests may be necessary.

Treatment for positional vertigo typically involves exercises for the head, in an attempt to move the calcium particles causing the dizziness and other symptoms to another part of the ear. Often, these treatments are successful over time. In the case of more severe symptoms such as nausea, the patient may be given medication to counteract the symptoms of positional vertigo. However, medication for the vertigo itself is not a treatment option. In severe cases that do not improve over time, surgery may be a viable treatment as well.

Overall, while positional vertigo is uncomfortable, it is not actually medically threatening for the patient. Symptoms typically improve over time, although they may reoccur.