The term ‘vertigo’ refers to a feeling of dizziness and spinning. It can occur with or without any movement. Vertigo is caused when your brain feels that your body is off-balance even though it is not. When feeling dizzy, you should sit down immediately in order to reduce the chances of getting hurt if you fall.
Often, vertigo is a symptom of a fundamental medical condition or several different conditions. Sometimes, vertigo will only occur once however for other people, it will reoccur until the underlying cause is determined.
The spinning sensation as well as dizziness you get from vertigo can severely limit your activities and make you feel sick. Depending on the cause, though, some simple manoeuvres and stretches you can do at home might bring relief.
What Causes Vertigo?
The most common sort of this condition is BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). It occurs when small crystals of calcium become loose in your inner ear. You may feel the symptoms of vertigo when you’re getting in or out of bed or, alternatively, tilting your head up. People who are older than the age of 60 years are more likely to get BPPV. Luckily, it’s also the simplest kind of vertigo to treat.
Before you attempt to treat it yourself, consult your doctor. If you suffer from vertigo, you’ll need to know what type it is as well as which ear has the problem.
Follow these steps in order to determine affected side:
- Sit on your bed so that if you lie down, your head will hang just over the end of the bed. Turn your head to the right. After this, lie back quickly.
- Wait for one minute.
- If you feel a dizzy sensation, then your right ear is your affected ear. If no dizziness happens, sit up.
- Wait for one minute.
- Turn your head to the left. After this lie back quickly. Wait for one minute and if you feel dizzy, then the left is your affected ear.
If you have BPPV, a number of actions can move the calcium crystals, which cause the problem, out of your ear canal. That should bring relief.
What Is The Brandt-Daroff Stretch?
The Brandt-Daroff exercise and stretches is one of several exercises which are intended to speed up the compensation process and also end the symptoms of vertigo. This series of exercises and stretches are often is prescribed for individuals who have BPPV and sometimes for labyrinthitis.
These stretches and exercises will not cure the symptoms of vertigo however, over time, they can reduce the symptoms.
Here is how to do the Brandt-Daroff exercise:
- Begin in an upright, seated position.
- Move your body into a lying position on one side with your nose pointed up at approximately a 45-degree angle.
- Remain in this position for around half a minute (or till the vertigo subsides, whichever is longer). Then move back to the seated position.
- Repeat on the other side.
People who utilise this exercise are usually instructed to perform multiple repetitions of the exercise at least twice a day.
What Is The Epley Manoeuvre?
This is a series of movements which may assist with relieving vertigo by repositioning crystals in the inner ear. The aim of this stretch is to alleviate nausea and dizziness. Research makes the suggestion that this manoeuvre is a particularly safe as well as effective treatment for BPPV.
How to perform the Epley manoeuvre if vertigo results from an issue with the right ear:
- Sit on the very edge of a bed.
- Turn your head 45 degrees, or as far as it is comfortable, to the right.
- Lie back quickly.
- Maintain this position for approximately 30 seconds.
- Turn your head so that it is now 45 degrees to your left.
- Keep this position for 30 seconds.
- Turn your head and body an additional 90 degrees to your left into the bed. Keep this position for another 30 seconds.
- Sit up slowly.
- Begin on the other side if your vertigo stems from an issue with your left ear.
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