Amy: You may have what's called benighn parxysmal positional vertigo, which is quite common. Your GP can do a simple test to diagnose it after ruling out anything else (neuro issues, etc.). She'll have you lie back quickly and turn your head to the side (repeating to the other side thereafter). She'll ask you to keep your eyes open so she can watch your eye movements. If you have BPPV, you'll know it. The room will spin and you'll feel like you are falling. There are ways to resolve this without
surgery. If you have not gone through the positional movements that move the crystals out of the circular ear canals into the proper canal where they will gradually dissolve, you need to have this done (you'll need to keep your head straight for 72 hours after the positional therapy so as not to move them back to the wrong canals--yes, that means sleeping sitting up in a chair for 3 nights). Do not bother with
physical therapy for this, it's a waste of time and medical dollars. Visit a neurologist that specializes in BPPM (in Cleveland, Neil Cherian, MD at the Cleveland Clinic is phenomenal). There is equipment they can use during the positions where they can view your eye movements to determine where the crystals are moving. You wear these sci-fi goggles and your eye is on a large screen. Don't let anyone tell you that
surgery is necessary until you've gone through these steps, and you know what your illness is. Other ear issues--Meneir's (spelling?) is not so easy, and I've heard people having
surgery for that. But you need some better advice for now. Good luck. It's an awful one, isn't it. I'm still coming out of my own time with it, and I've even been trained how to handle it if it occurs again, which it may within 5 years.
