My mom is being diagnosed. They recommend her do, "maneuvers," with her head. I looked up Floating Crstals in ear and it was all pretty much the same but not very informative. It also called it BPPV. That's got me confused. I know BPPV has been discussed here but I can't find an in depth report on the diagnosis. Could it be BPPV? I need more info on the manuvers as well. Help!
Youtube has some good videos demonstrating the Epley maneuver. The good news is that it's temporary and there won't be any lasting damage such as hearing loss. The crystals have moved to a place where they aren't supposed to be and when a person moves their head into a certain position, such as looking up or down, the crystals move and cause vertigo. It's just like MM vertigo, but brief, and should stop when the head is moved to another position. I've had many episodes of BPPV and but for one time, it resolved on its own after a few days. I think the person doing the Epley looks for nystagmus when moving the patient's head as part of the diagnosis.
This is a good read on BPPV: http://vestibular.org/understanding-vestibular-disorders/types-vestibular-disorders/benign-paroxysmal-positional-vertigo#
Floating crystals, are calcium crystals that have been dislodged from their proper spot in the ears and need to be put back. They're made of calcium. When they float in the ear then they cause BPPV. BPPV should be pretty distinct, like she gets it when she turns to a specific side while on the bed or when getting up from bed.
Thank you everyone for your responses. All of the information did help as now she knows what the problem is. She has a dr appt scheduled to be certain. I told her many Drs don't like it when you bring in research to support a diagnosis and they'll probably want her to go to physical therapy. We'll see how that goes.