Do I have BPPV, allergies or MD? Please help
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi I’m a 20 year old female and I had my first episode of vertigo one year ago around spring after waking up in the morning. It lasted about 10 seconds and I had diarrehea and vomiting afterwards. I went to a walk in clinic the same day and they said I probably just had BPPV. I didn’t think much of it afterwards and felt back to normal within 2-3 days. Recently in early May I had another episode of vertigo after waking up and it lasted about 5 seconds. I didn’t vomit or have diarrhea afterwards but felt like my right ear was a bit full and I’ve been feeling unbalanced when I walk for almost 3 months now. I still have fullness in my right ear and find that I’m unable to equalize the pressure in it as easily as my left. For example, when I wake up and swallow my left ear will “pop” immediately but my right ear will not pop at all sometimes. It just feels like there is pressure or fullness in it. I went to the ENT doctor and an audiologist and my tests came back normal. There was no signs that I had a puckered in ear drum which would cause ear fullness because my tympanogram came back normal. The doctor also put a camera up my nose and said there was no fluid build up... Sometimes I feel like I’m sinking into the ground when I’m walking and I’m general just feeling off. Randomly if I move my head quickly sometimes I dont get vertigo but feel like dizzy or I’m being pulled really quickly (Can’t really explain it). I went to the doctor today for my ear fullness and he said I have allergies after examining the inside of my nose which is what he thinks is causing my Eustachian tube to not work properly and I got a nose spray (haven’t used it yet). I’m not sure what to do or think anymore as I’m scared I will have another episode of vertigo.
If you have MD how long did your first few vertigo attacks last and is it possible to have MD if your attacks lasted less than a minute for your first few ones? Does your ear feel full for months after an attack? Any information to distinguish between these two disorders would be greatly appreciated.
0 likes, 9 replies
brian40174 sarah30526
Posted
Hi Sarah, your symptoms sound as if they may be due to BPPV. Has anyone offered the Epley manoeuvre as treatment yet? If your symptoms are due to BPPV this should have an immediate beneficial effect if it's done properly.
sarah30526 brian40174
Posted
brian40174 sarah30526
Posted
Hi Sarah, I would suggest that you find a professional to perform the Epley manoeuvre, as when carried out properly it's not only effective in dealing with symptoms caused by irregular crystal movement in the semicircular canals, but may also produce nystagmus, which will be important in diagnosing your particular problem; and it's so important to get an accurate diagnosis, as effective treatment completely depends on this. My GP was reluctant to do an Epley on me for some reason, so he demonstrated how I could do it myself and recommended that I watched Youtube vids! I did as he said and tried the manoeuvre for myself but ended up making myself far more dizzy! A month later my ENT consultant carried out the same manoeuvre, and I can tell you in hindsight that I couldn't have managed it effectively on my own. In my case the manoeuvre wasn't effective but because there was a total lack of nystagmus it immediately ruled out BPPV.
sarah30526 brian40174
Posted
brian40174 sarah30526
Posted
Not definite yet but it's looking like semicircular canal dehiscence.
Waffalobill sarah30526
Posted
Menieres can be hard to diagnose. They have to rule out everything else first. My first attack was short but violant. My second one was much worse and lasted 3 days. I to was told it was just bppv. 12 years later I was told by a specialist in menieres that bppv does not last that long. The problem with MD is your symptoms get worse as time goes by. At first I had no hearing loss and my VNG testing came back normal. Now my bad ear has no vestibular response and I am almost deaf. A neurotologist is the doc to see. Not neurologist. A neurotologist specialises in the inner ear and connections to the brain. Seeing him can save you years of docs guessing at your problem. Most refuse to admitted they don't know what's wrong. MD can give you bppv cause of the build up of fluid. It gets things floating around . But bppv has a short life span. MD stays longer. Is more frequent.
sarah30526 Waffalobill
Posted
anne05147 sarah30526
Posted
I've had repeated episodes of BPPV which affected me when turning over in bed, my left ear was affected. It is supposedly caused by ear crystals which will eventually dissolve themselves as the Epley manoeuvre didn't work for me. I'm now fine. I also have MAV. Both are now not as bad as they use to be, but at the time I also wondered if I had MD. Sometimes these things can take a long time to diagnose but the nasal spray may help if you have a feeling of fullness as it might be connected to sinus problems also. I also use a nasal spray for rhinitis which also affects my ears as ears and nose and throat are all connected that's why it's called ENT.
Hope it all clears up soon.
sarah30526 anne05147
Posted
Yeah I still feel weird when i flip my hair up for example or when i turn my head quickly while walking like im almost sinking into the floor.... Not sure if this can be anxiety related because I get these feelings even when I'm not thinking about it and feel fine.
Thanks hope you get better as well.