If you feel dizzy and unsteady after strenuous exercise, you may be suffering from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. Though it's not a common problem, exercise can trigger the condition in some people. The sensation may be a little like vertigo -- that uneasy feeling you might get when standing on a high ledge or a ladder. Several treatment options exist to relieve symptoms.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is linked with tiny crystals of calcium carbonate getting stuck or becoming dislodged from the utricle, a part of the inner ear. The utricle helps your body balance. According to Timothy C. Hain, MD, BPPV might be the result of a head injury, an ear infection or another problem within the ear. Hain also suggests that around 50 percent of dizziness experienced in older people is a result of BPPV, and that close to 20 percent of all dizziness is related to the condition.
Link to Exercise
A 2009 study by Pier Giorgio Giacomini et al., published in the "European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology" shows a link between strenuous exercise and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Researchers followed nine patients who showed signs of positional vertigo after vigorous exercise. The study concludes that though the condition is rarely triggered by exercise, the movements associated with strenuous activity can cause positional vertigo in some cases.
Home Treatment
In some cases, the feeling of vertigo after exercise can be reduced temporarily using self-treatment. A common approach is the Brandt-Daroff exercise. Sit on the side of a bed or couch with your feet flat on the floor. Move your body quickly to one side and look upward for 30 seconds. Sit up again and look ahead for half a minute, then repeat the movement on the opposite side. Symptoms may start to disappear after a week of performing the treatment three times a day, 10 minutes each time.
Doctor and Surgical Treatment
Consult with your doctor if you regularly experience positional vertigo after strenuous exercise. After inspecting the ear to find out where your mineral crystals are located, he might advise a particle-repositioning maneuver, which involves moving your head in such a way that the crystals shift and stop causing your dizziness. If that doesn't work, surgery may be an option. Procedures include either cutting a tiny nerve in the ear canal or packing the ear crystals to prevent movement. In a few serious cases, the whole balance nerve is cut to stop the vertigo, according to UC San Diego Health System.
References
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo; Timothy C. Hain, MD
- "European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology"; Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo After Intense Physical Activity: A Report of Nine Cases; Pier Giorgio Giacomini et al.; November 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
- UC San Diego Health System: Dizziness & Vertigo Treatment
