Have you ever gotten out of bed too quickly and felt funny in your head? Have you ever rolled over in bed in the middle of the night and woke up with the room spinning? What exactly is the difference between these two sensations?
Dizziness vs. Vertigo
Dizziness is a catch all term describing multiple things. Dizziness can be lightheadedness, unsteadiness while walking, and/or vertigo. Vertigo itself is the sensation of the room spinning or even you spinning.
Why Do We Experience Dizziness?
When you get up quickly in the morning the sensation you feel is usually caused by a drop in blood pressure. When we sleep at night, we are in a laying position and our blood pressure tends to plateau. A quick movement into a sitting position may cause a drop in your blood pressure and hence that funny sensation of lightheadedness that subsides relatively quickly.
If you are taking medications for blood pressure, this sensation is more common and may even be more severe. This is called orthostatic hypotension; a drop in blood pressure caused by a position change. It is a common side effect of many medications.
If you do get this sensation when you change positions quickly, it is important to slow down your movements and stay in each position a little longer to decrease the lightheadedness. If you notice that this is not helping, then you may need to go back to your physician and have them check your medications.
Why Do We Experience Vertigo?
If you have woken up in the middle of the night and the room or you start to feel like you are spinning, then this is vertigo. Vertigo is more common than you think and can easily be treated. Why does this happen?
Deep inside our ears is the vestibular system, otherwise known as the inner ear. Inside the inner ear there is a pouch with otoconia, otherwise known as “ear rocks” or “crystals” that belong there. Vertigo occurs when those “crystals” fall out of their pouch and move into one of three canals next to it.
There usually is nothing that you have done to cause this and you don’t even know that they have fallen out of their position until you change your position. BPPV, also known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, is the name of this condition.
It is common for people to go to the hospital when this occurs because the vertigo can be very intense, and can also be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. If the symptoms are not intense, people usually visit their primary care doctors and are given a medication which may help the symptoms, but does not actually get those “crystals” back to where they belong.
How Physical Therapy can Help:
Did you know that vertigo can actually be successfully treated in one to two visits by a physical therapist that has a specialty in vestibular rehabilitation? Most people do not know this and suffer for days and even weeks waiting for the vertigo and other symptoms to go away. If you are experiencing these symptoms, do not wait for them to go away! We are a direct access facility and do not require a prescription from a doctor.
By Devin Wurman, DPT
Call Loudoun Sports Therapy Center at 703-450-4300, to schedule your evaluation!
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