Contrary to popular belief, vertigo is not a fear of heights. It's the sensation that your surroundings are rapidly spinning while you remain still. The condition is not uncommon but is rarely serious. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common form of vertigo and is characterized by sudden episodes of dizziness brought on by movement.
Here's what you need to know about BPPV.
1. BPPV is caused by a confusion of signals to the brain.
The vestibular apparatus, a series of canals located inside the ear, includes a structure that contains tiny crystals of calcium carbonate. These crystals help the body detect gravity, tilting and speed changes in linear motions like stopping and starting at a traffic light. BPPV occurs when some of the crystals escape from their normal chamber and get into one or more of the canals. "When you move your head, the fluid in the canals moves as usual, but when you stop, if the escaped crystals are still moving in one ear, they will continue to stimulate the canal, creating a clash of signals to the brain," explains Kathleen Shortt, a physiotherapist who specializes in vertigo at LifeMark Physiotherapy in Toronto.
BPPV typically occurs without provocation, seemingly out of nowhere. According to one report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, 50 to 70 per cent of BPPV cases are idiopathic, meaning without substantiated cause. This sudden onset is the way people usually discover that they have vertigo. Their first experience of the condition is often when they roll over in bed, says Shortt.
3. BPPV can be mistaken for a stroke.
Some common symptoms of BPPV – nausea, dizziness, light-headedness and loss of balance – are also signs of stroke. However, "there is no physiological connection between the two," says Shortt. "BPPV tends to come and go, and symptoms last only about 30 seconds, whereas stroke symptoms are continuous."
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