BPPV and Me

Annoying few days for me. Came down with a case of BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO. I've had this condition before. It's a kind of short term, episodic dizziness. I experience it mostly when rolling over in bed. The sensation is that I am still rolling even though my body has stopped. Unfortunately, the symptoms persist somewhat after arising. Sometimes I experience it when looking high overhead, but this is a less common occurance. I first experienced this condition 18 years ago when I lived in New York. Lasted about a week then went away. For the next several years I would get it annually in the fall. It would set in for a few days and then leave. Not sure why that was. There is nothing in the medical literature about seasonal BPPV. This week is the first time in about 9 years I've had a recurrence.

The cause of this condition is that some of the tiny calcium deposits in your inner ear called canaliths, also called otoconia (it turns out everyone has rocks in their heads) have detached and are floating around in one of the sensitive semicircular canals. Normally the canaliths are attached to the tiny hairs in the inner ear and assist with balance but when some break free and float around in the inner ear it causes vertigo, involuntary eye movements called nystagmus (imagine the vertical hold on the TV has slipped: the vision "rolls")and sometime nausea.

There are several home remedies that involve systematic positioning of the head to allow the canalith to reposition itself in a less sensitive area of the inner ear. One of these is called the Epley maneuver which I have been using with some success. I've also discovered my own remedy that I don't necessarily recommend.

A few years ago I woke up with the room swirling. I crawled to the bathroom, dressed myself, staggered out to the car and drove to the gym. Every turn made me dizzy. I staggered into the gym holding on to exercise equipment for balance as I made my way to the power rack. I loaded up the bar and then did squats. The Valsalva manuever must have generated enough pressure in my head to move the rocks cuz that wuz that for that year.

So...despite some occasional dizziness during the day, I was able to do some work yesterday and today.

Yesterday I did 10 minutes of 16kg alternating swings, switching hands every minute, for 310 reps.

Today I did some barbell clean pulls up to 110 kg for 3 sets of 3. KB snatches with 32kg, a few sets of 5 reos each arm then 1 set of 10 each arm. Finished with 24kg clean ladders, five rungs. Got in 5 full rungs each arm for 75 reps each arm.