Diagnosis and Treatment of Vertigo

Dear Ask The Doctor: For the past few nights i have been awaken by the feeling of the room spinning completely out of control. i have noticed this occurs when i am sleeping on my left side and leaves me with a sick to my stomach sensation until i lay on my back and it goes away until i fall back asleep and end up on my left side and it happens again. currently i do have quite a bit of stress in my life, but have always handled it well, could thios be anxiety or something else.

Dear Rob: I do understand that your vertigo is more evident when you are lying down with the head in in a particular direction. This is very common in Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). This condition is most commonly attributed to calcium debris within the posterior semicircular canal. The semicircular canals normally detect angular head accelerations. Debris in the canal causes inappropriate sensation of spinning when the head shifts with respect to gravity.

The treatment of BPPV includes several particle repositioning maneuvers such as Epley maneuver and modified Epley maneuver. single treatment maneuvers encourage the debris to migrate toward the exit. I would suggest that you consult an otolaryngologist/ENT doctor for a thorough physical examination to rule out other more serious conditions like Meniere's disease that may present with similar symptoms.