Patient Story: Vertigo Patient Learns How to Manage Dizziness
“I was working from home during the pandemic, and I noticed one morning when I woke up, even before getting out of bed, I started experiencing dizziness,” said Rob Chavez, an ENT patient in Alexandria, VA. “I got out of bed, and it hit me right away; the room started spinning. I had to hold onto things to get to the bathroom.
“In addition to the dizziness, I got very anxious wondering what could be going on; it really disturbed me.” Rob told a friend about his condition, who suggested that he see an ENT specialist to help diagnose and treat his condition. The most common inner ear problem and cause of vertigo, or false sense of spinning, is called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), also known as feeling like you have “rocks in the head.”
Rob Chavez talks about his experience with dizziness and vertigo.
Rob sought treatment from AAO-HNS member Selena E. Briggs, MD, MBA, PhD. Dr. Briggs is the vice chair of the Department of Otolaryngology at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. She specializes in, among numerous other conditions, the care of vestibular and balance disorders.
Dr. Briggs listened to Rob’s concerns, asked specific questions to clearly understand what he was experiencing, and performed an examination on him. BPPV can occur once or twice, it can last for days or weeks, or, sometimes, for a few months. The name means that it is benign (not life-threatening), paroxysmal (it comes in sudden, short spells), and positional (certain head movements can trigger it) causing vertigo (the feeling of spinning, or the world around you is spinning).
“She also ruled out the other fears and concerns I had,” he said. “Just knowing that other people had this issue was very comforting.”
It hit me right away; the room started spinning.
A common office procedure called the Canalith Repositioning Procedure involves putting the patient in a position that causes vertigo, allowing it to pass, and then turning their head carefully to move the tiny crystals in the inner ear to a portion of the inner ear where they won’t do any harm. It only takes several minutes, and the success rate is generally very high—most people are “cured” after one or two treatments, but some may need additional “repositioning” treatments.
“Dr. Briggs also told me that I could perform this procedure anytime on my own, which I did every now and then,” Rob explained. “Each time, it was effective and successful. After a couple of months, I stopped having these instances of vertigo, and luckily, I haven’t had it since.
“I’m glad to have had this interaction with Dr. Briggs and I see the benefit of having an ENT specialist who has studied these types of conditions and could give me the science and medical assistance that I needed. Your ear, nose, and throat are so key to who we are in our well-being—I was just so happy that Dr. Briggs could help me.”
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