Dizziness Depot

Featured image for “Unwinding Episodic Dizziness: A Checklist for Front Line Practitioners”
Apr. 13, 2023

Unwinding Episodic Dizziness: A Checklist for Front Line Practitioners

Alan Desmond
Diagnosing episodic dizziness can be challenging as most patients are asymptomatic when they arrive for examination. Episodes of dizziness can be broken down into two broad categories based on two variables: Triggered vs. Spontaneous episodes Episodes of less than five minutes duration or more than five minutes duration. Fortunately, these categories align in that most short duration dizziness is triggered,
Featured image for “Vitamin D Deficiency: Can it Cause Vertigo and Hearing Loss?”
Mar. 22, 2023

Vitamin D Deficiency: Can it Cause Vertigo and Hearing Loss?

Brady Workman
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, necessary for building and maintaining healthy bone structure by promoting calcium absorption in the body. Despite its importance, vitamin D is not found naturally in many foods. Also, with populations spending less time outdoors, vitamin D obtained naturally from sunlight is likely declining. As such, vitamin D deficiency is widespread with an estimated 1
Featured image for “VNG: An Incomplete Picture”
Feb. 22, 2023

VNG: An Incomplete Picture

Brady Workman
Vestibular disorders are the most common reason for symptoms of dizziness regardless of the clinical setting. A five study average reveals that vestibular disorders account for around 45% of all dizziness and are much more common than cardiovascular or potentially life threatening neurologic causes for dizziness. Despite the magnitude of individuals suffering from vestibular type dizziness, these disorders are historically
Featured image for “Modified Epley Maneuver Update”
Jan. 31, 2023

Modified Epley Maneuver Update

Brady Workman
The most common vestibular disorder is the condition of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), which accounts for up to 40% of all patients experiencing vertigo. This condition is the result of otoconia (inner ear crystals) migrating into one of the semicircular canals (head turn sensors) of the inner ear. The majority of cases can be readily treated with canalith repositioning
Featured image for “Smartphone Use in Vestibular Diagnosis”
Dec. 27, 2022

Smartphone Use in Vestibular Diagnosis

Alan Desmond
Multiple sources agree that the most common causes of the complaints of dizziness and vertigo include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular migraine, orthostatic hypotension, vestibular neuritis, and Ménière’s disease.  There are subtle differences in the symptom presentation, duration, provoking or exacerbating factors that guide the examiner to the diagnosis. Vestibular neuritis almost always presents as an isolated episode of vertigo
Featured image for “A Simple, Quick, and Effective Tool to Help Diagnosis Dizziness and Vertigo”
Nov. 14, 2022

A Simple, Quick, and Effective Tool to Help Diagnosis Dizziness and Vertigo

Alan Desmond
As we and many others have discussed in previous blogs and articles, the word “dizzy” is a broad and ineffective descriptor of symptoms that might bring someone to a vestibular clinic. I did an eight part series on this topic about ten years ago. It is important to get additional information to venture any guess as to the possible cause of the
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Oct. 17, 2022

Scared Dizzy?

Brady Workman
As Halloween draws near we thought we would look into the question of “can you be scared dizzy?”. I will preface this post by stating that feeling fearful or being scared would not directly trigger dizziness symptoms associated with most inner ear conditions and in turn, the majority of the conditions discussed are outside of my area of specialty. The
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Sep. 26, 2022

Common Risk Factors for Falling

Brady Workman
September is falls prevention awareness month and as such we are going to discuss some of the more common risk factors for falling. Falls are an enormous problem that can impact one’s health, quality of life and financial stability. Falls are the second leading cause for unintentional injury death worldwide and cost over $50 billion in medical expenses in the
Featured image for “Questions from a Fellow Vestibular Neuritis Survivor”
Aug. 02, 2022

Questions from a Fellow Vestibular Neuritis Survivor

Alan Desmond
I received an email a couple of weeks ago from Deanne asking questions about Vestibular Neuritis (VN) and associated chronic symptoms. With her permission, because her questions are both relevant and typical of many patients with VN, I am responding through this blog in a Q and A format. Deanne’s questions in Italics. My responses in bold. Links to relevant
Featured image for “An Effective Approach to Acute Vertigo”
Jul. 19, 2022

An Effective Approach to Acute Vertigo

Alan Desmond
My most recent blog discussed the state (or lack thereof) of the development of a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for acute vertigo. I ended the blog with the following thought: “Is it possible that a Clinical Practice Guideline for acute vertigo could result in more accurate diagnosis and more effective treatment, while at the same time dramatically reducing cost? There
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