Don't Need a Scarf
No, I wasn't in a car accident. I'm having an interesting bout with vertigo (on week five now) and in a nutshell, my audiologist performed the Epley Maneuver on me (second time) and in order to make sure I don't move my head around for 48 hrs I have to wear a collar.
Jennifer and I had a good laugh because when we went out to go get donuts at the corner Krispy Kreme, I realized, "Gee... I guess I don't need to wear a scarf." Gotta appreciate the silver lining, right?
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Canalithiasis
A condition in which loose densities in a semicircular canal produce nystagmus and vertigo when a critical provocative position of the head is assumed. The symptoms generated are called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).
Canalith Repositioning
Procedure for the treatment of canalithiasis (BPPV) through maneuvers designed to induce migration of free particles out of the semicircular canals, assisted by concurrent observation of the nystagmus being produced by the migrating particles. Also known as the "Epley Maneuvers".
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
A condition in which violent, brief (seconds) episodes of spinning vertigo are provoked by moving the head into certain positions. The mechanism is abnormal densities, mainly displaced otoconia from the utricle, which collect in a posterior semicircular canal, where they shift position when the head is tilted. The diagnosis is made by observing typical nystagmus after the Hallpike maneuver. Treatment: the offending loose densities can be moved out of the semicircular canal with the Epley (canalith repositioning) maneuvers, thus controlling the symptoms.
Though if Epley Maneuver was a person they'd be very good at those little ball games where you try and get the metal balls through the holes in one side of the plastic cube to the other.
Oh, and if you ever want to have BPPV a great recipe is walking into a cement accent column in the middle of the night on your way to bed and then diving 15 feet while snorkling off of a small rocky boat the next day. Throw in an airplane flight two days later and you'll really get it good.