MY HEALTH EXPERIENCE:It turned out to be vertigo, likely caused by grit in the ear, writes JOHN McCROSSAN
ABOUT TWO years ago, I woke up one morning feeling rather queasy. When I tried to stand up, I became dizzy and fell back on the bed again. The room seemed to be spinning around me. I couldn’t focus on anything.
Soon I began to feel violently ill and had to make my way to the bathroom by holding on to the walls. I was staggering around the room like a drunk. I thought I was going to pass out. I was convinced I was having a heart attack.
When my wife found me, I was lying on the bathroom floor, getting sick. She immediately called our local GP, who agreed to see me immediately.
After assessing my symptoms, the doctor suggested they might be linked to a problem in the inner ear. She raised the possibility that I might be suffering from vertigo.
At the time, I knew nothing about the condition and, like many people, I suspect, thought it had something to do with feeling dizzy or having a fear of heights. I didn’t even know it was a specific medical problem.
My doctor referred me to a specialist who confirmed the diagnosis. My symptoms indicated I had the less serious type, known as benign positional vertigo, which is usually caused by loose grit in the inner ear.
It was mostly head movements that set it off. The trigger was bending down. If I stooped down to pick something up, I would tip over. As long as I kept myself upright and made no quick head movements I was okay.
After a few weeks, however, the symptoms cleared up. Nevertheless, the specialist agreed to monitor my condition in case it returned.
About a year later, having had no symptoms in the interim, I woke in the early hours of the morning to what I thought was the buzzing sound of a mosquito in the room. I sat up in bed to discover the buzzing seemed to be in my head.
As soon as I put my feet on the floor, the room began to spin again. The ceiling seemed to be coming down on top of me. I couldn’t look up or down without feeling extremely nauseous.
When the seizure ended, I drove myself to a 24-hour medical clinic and was prescribed pills for vertigo by the on-call doctor.
The symptoms, however, persisted for several weeks.
When my head went below a certain level, the dizziness and nausea came on. I could control it during the day by keeping myself upright, but I dreaded going to bed at night. The moment my head hit the pillow, everything started moving again.
On one occasion, I was fly-fishing at a nearby river. I remember walking along the slippery river bank and the next moment finding myself lying on my back in the river. Fortunately I landed in a shallow stretch, but I’ve no doubt the fall was caused by my vertigo.
My doctor decided to refer me to another GP in Donegal who specialised in vertigo. When I explained my symptoms, she smiled and said: “I think I can help you.”
She explained to me in great detail what was happening in the inner ear to cause the vertigo. By manipulating the head into certain positions, she said it might be possible to dislodge the grit and remedy the problem. I have to say, I had my doubts – the solution sounded too simple.
She said she would have to bring on a seizure to find out which side the problem was on. She then proceeded to manipulate my head into various positions, which brought on the symptoms.
Despite the discomfort, the dizziness and nausea gradually began to ease as she manoeuvred my head this way and that, and within a few minutes they were completely gone. I could hardly believe it.
She warned me the condition may recur in the future, but I haven’t experienced a symptom since. I have a friend who has had the condition for more than 30 years, and who has tried a number of therapies without success. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones.
In conversation with EOIN BURKE KENNEDY
What is vertigo?
DEFINITION: As a result of the famous Hitchcock movie, vertigo is often erroneously confused with acrophobia – a fear of heights.
However it is a quite distinct disorder, typically characterised by a feeling of movement, usually whirling or spinning, when one is stationary. It is medically distinct from dizziness or light-headedness.
CAUSES: It is caused by problems in the brain or the inner ear. However, experts disagree on whether it is a diagnosis in itself or a symptom of an underlying condition.
Most vertigo cases (about 80 per cent) are caused by what’s known as benign positional vertigo, which is typified by the sensation of motion caused by sudden head movements or moving the head in a certain direction.
Another common cause is inflammation in the inner ear, known as vestibular neuritis.
Vertigo can also be a symptom of Ménière’s disease, a syndrome that is usually accompanied by hearing loss and tinnitus. It can also be a precursor to migraine.
In rare cases, vertigo can be a presenting symptom of multiple sclerosis.
PREVALENCE: According to US studies, the balance disorder affects about 64 people in every 100,000. It is most common in people over 50, and occurs twice as often in women than in men.
