Benign Positional Vertigo or BPV After Traumatic Brain Injury

Benign Positional Vertigo

Benign Paroxysmal Positional VertigoBenign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)- also called Benign Positional Vertigo (BPV) – is perhaps the most common cause of vertigo. Benign positional vertigo(BPV)is a vertigo which may manifest itself from rolling over in bed, or getting in and out of bed. Such change in positioning moves crystals or debris inside the posterior semicircular canal, setting off the vertigo sensation. It can caused either by trauma, among many other causes.

While benign positional vertigo is a benign disorder, which often remits, it presents with such severe symptomatology, that sufferers often think something far more serious is going on. It is known to wake people up from sleep. It can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

It can be diagnosed  by the use of the Dix Halpike Maneuver. Benign Positional Vertigo (BPV) may be cured, by another maneuver performed by the treating doctor, to relocate these clots from the posterior semicircular canal. Success on these can be as high as 90%.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo from Trauma

When as a result of trauma, BPPV typically appears within a few days of the head injury.

While it may come and go, it often reappears, with about half of patients having at least one future bout of PPBV. It can persist for years in some individuals.

In BPPV, the vertigo is “fatigable,” meaning that it lessens with repetition of the maneuvers. When the symptoms of nystagmus do not fatigue, then it is likely it may be caused by central vestibular lesions.

NEXT: Imaging Resources.

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Understanding Subtle Brain Injury

Brain Scan of benign positional vertigoThe concussions that disable, are almost always more symptomatic at 24 hours, than at the 2-4 hour time frame when injured persons are evaluated in the emergency room. Brain injury symptoms escalate over the first 24 hours, because brain injury involves a cascade of events. It is critical that if you are still symptomatic the day after your injury, go back to the same Emergency Room, don’t wait for a doctors appointment. It is critical that the Emergency Room personnel see that the symptoms still persist or have gotten worse.

View Our Video Series on Concussions

by Attorney Gordon Johnson