Homoeopathic Treatment for the Benign Positional Vertigo

The most common cause of vertigo is 'benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)'. If you are suffering with BPPV, you can experience a sudden sensation of spinning inside your head.

BPPV is characterized by brief episodes of mild to intense dizziness. The acute episodes of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can be triggered by specific changes in the position of your head, such as looking up or down (just like you do while drying washed clothes), and by lying down, turning over or sitting up in bed. If it gets progressed, you may also feel out of balance when standing or walking.

The clinical presentation:

The most common symptoms of BPPV are

• Dizziness
• A sensation that the things around you are spinning or moving (vertigo)
• Feeling of light-headedness
• Unsteadiness leading to loss of balance
• Blurred vision that accompanies the sensation of vertigo
• Nausea and vomiting (just like one experiences during car-sickness)

The triggering factors that bring about the episodes of BPPV can vary from person to person, but are almost always brought on by a change in the position of your head. An attack of BPPV can come and go. The symptoms may last for less than one minute.
What happens inside to cause BPPV?

The inner ear that is directly connected to the brain is one of the most important organs of balance. Inside the inner-ear we have a tiny organ called the vestibular labyrinth. It includes three semicircular canals that contain fluid and fine, hair-like sensors that monitor the rotation of our head. If the semicircular canals become over-sensitive to the changes in the head position, it would normally not respond to, one starts feeling dizzy.

Risk factors

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can affect you at any age, but it becomes more common as the age advances. At least 40% of the population above 60 years of age can experience BPPV at least once in lifetime.

Tests and Investigations

Since it is primarily a functional disorder, most of the imaging can turn out to be negative. Despite that doctor can ask to go for a Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to rule out other causes of imbalance, mainly organic causes like cerebellar tumors or an acoustic neuroma which is a non-cancerous tumor of the nerve that carries sound and balance information from the inner ear to the brain.

Homeopathic Treatment:

Homeopathy believes in restoring the lost balance within the semicircular canals through its deep-acting medicines. It not only relieves symptomatic affection but also prevents the recurrence of symptoms in future.

The common homeopathic remedies that are used in cases of BPPV are:

Conium:

It helps the vertigo of the aged and that arising from excesses an all over use of tobacco.

Patient gets a sensation when looking steadily at an object as if turning in a circle.

Vertigo on rising up or going down stairs, with great debility and inclination to sleep.

Associated with a numb feeling in the brain as if stupefied, worse turning over in bed.

Ferrum-met:

This remedy suits anaemic vertigo, which is worse when suddenly rising from a sitting or lying position.

It comes on when going down hill or on crossing water, even though the water be smooth.

Has a vertigo worse when looking at running water.

Cocculus:

Has its principal action on the solar plexus, and vertigo which is connected with digestive troubles suites this remedy

Helps the neurasthenic type with occipital headache and lumbo-sacral irritation.

Along with vertigo there is a flushed face and hot head, worse sitting up and riding in a carriage; it is also worse after eating.

This remedy also can help those who have a car-sickness.

Rhus tox:

It helps in all those cases of vertigo, especially in old people, which comes on as soon as the patient rises from a sitting position.

Usually accompanied with heavy limbs is probably caused by senile changes in the brain.

Causticum:

Is suitable to vertigo preceding paralysis.

There is a tendency to fall forward or sideways; there is a great anxiety and weakness in the head.

Vertigo and weakness in the head. It corresponds, therefore to the vertigo of organic brain diseases.

Argentum nitricum:

Vertigo, with debility and trembling, is curable by this remedy when there is much mental confusion and a sense of expansion.

It seems as if houses would fall on him when he is walking through the street.

It also suits vertigo from diseases of the brain and eyes.

Also helps the case of tinnitus.

Although these six remedies are used most commonly in cases of BPPV, individual case may need a totally different remedy. A consultation with a homeopathic physician will always help to solve your individual case. Self-medication is not advised.