Dizziness, vertigo, (BPPV) caused by "ear rocks"????

[mr.g]

Ear Rocks
-I had them before I was dx with WG. I don't know if they are WG related or not but I feel they are. My ENT used the Epley and Semont Maneuver to check for ear rocks. Anyway, helpful or not, here is some information for our "information library." What does your ENT and/or Rheumatologist think about a dizziness cause and a link to WG?

"Ear Rocks," otoconia, do cause dizziness, BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo). They are small crystals of calcium carbonate that are created and dissolved in the ear. The problem is that when they break lose and float around they can cause BPPV. My ENT showed me how to control them with the Brandt-Daroff Exercises. I do the exercises when they reoccur and the dizziness is gone.

Is this more than you wanted to know? Some people have posted about vertigo problems that their ENT may be able to solve????

mr.g

[pberggren1]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. The body is full of mysteries.

[Rose]

Yes. I had sudden onset of bouts of severe vertigo and other ear and sinus problems last October. A brain scan was done and I was diagnosed with "low grade mastoiditis" by my ENT. Treatment was both cortisone and antibiotics. I improved about 80% over a few weeks . The vertigo responded well to treatment and has never returned. My sinuses took a while longer but they are just about back to normal now.

[annekat]

I have some vertigo now and then. Got the feeling it comes with the territory of having Wegs and ear problems. Hadn't heard of "ear rocks", so googled them and was surprised to learn that everyone has them but they can break loose and cause problems. Now will have to google the exercises you mention... sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Anne

[Chris G]

I've also heard them called "ear crystals". A friend of mine (non weggie) described them to me recently. She had them a while ago, and the ENT did some kind of magic head positioning with her (probably the exercise you mentioned). The dizziness went away very quickly.

I had horrible vertigo a few weeks ago. I will also google the exercise, just in case it comes back - maybe I have those pesky rocks too.

[Al]

This is also the first I had heard the term "ear rocks" for ocotonia. ANd I had heard of the exercises, but I had not known what they are called, so thanks for the education! Vertigo has several possible causes. BPPV is common, but vascular issues can come into play as well, and it can be important to know which is going on.

Al

[Chris G]

In my case, of course my assumtion is that the vertigo was due to wg ear involvement - of which I have all sorts. It's just nice to think that I could get some relief from a simple head tilt or something. Wishful thinking, I know.

[mishb]

I was diagnosed with Meniere's disease nearly 20 years ago.
I wonder if these exercises help with that.

Head tilting, looking up or lying on my left side has never been a very good idea

[Al]

I was diagnosed with Meniere's disease nearly 20 years ago.
I wonder if these exercises help with that.

Head tilting, looking up or lying on my left side has never been a very good idea
Meniere's has to do with inner ear pressure, Michelle, not floating bits of calcified gunk. So I doubt that the exercises suggested will do much. Maybe deep yawns will reduce the pressure? Just a thought.

Al

[Sangye]

If you go to an ENT with a complaint of vertigo they will always rule out otoconia. (I've also never heard it called ear rocks!) It's easy to rule out and easy to treat.

Michelle, keep your salt intake on the low side. That makes a huge difference controlling Meniere's.

[KathyB]

Mr. g - I shared your info with a colleague who has a couple of dibilitating vertigo issues every year. She says "thanks" for the great info! (she is not a WG)

KB

[Al]

Various kinds of vertigo are not specific to vasculitis. Proprioception (the sense that tells you where you are in space) requires proper functioning of the inner ear mechanism and the getting of that information into the brain. the inner ear mechanism s essentially an "accelerometer:; it measures the change in velocity in three dimensions. this is done by hairs in fluid that drive neural pulses. This mechanism can get munged up by ocotonia (BPPV), or pressure changes (Meniere's), or simply wearing out (age). However, it is true that vasculitis and other vascular anomalies can also sicken the hairs. Some antibiotics, like gentamicin, are known to be, when overused, fatal to these hairs. I find some of the "restoration" experiments to be quite fascination. For instance, wiring an accelerometer to the tongue (a very sensitive organ) is an alternative way to get positional data into the brain, and, in some cases, works like a charm. You can imagine how horrible it is to have your brain tell you that you are forever falling, which is what happens when your inner ear has completely failed. To have a new way of sensing your place in space is a true godsend.

Al