Living with M.S.

"Living with M.S. is sort of like training for a long race. The harder you try, and the longer you keep at it, the stronger you become.
Eventually, looking back, you may be amazed at the power you possessed, even when you had no idea it was within your reach." (Linda Ann Nickerson)

Friday

Got vertigo? Try this first!



Vertigo is a common complaint among individuals living with multiple sclerosis.

There’s no way to put a happy spin on it. Vertigo feels like the worst carnival ride on a day with no breeze. It’s like being carsick without ever climbing into a car, seasick without boarding a boat, and airsick without stepping onto an airplane – all rolled together.

Vertigo is like the most nauseating tipsy drinking binges, but there’s no party included.

It’s being dizzy without actually spinning around. 

Vertigo is vile.

Often, an MSer’s vertigo is a symptom of the condition, stemming from the central nervous system demyelinating disease.

Sometimes, however, vertigo may be as simple as an inner ear problem.

In non-MSers, vertigo is frequently attributed to the misplacement of miniscule calcium crystals in the inner ear. When these particles move, they can come into contact with the nerves that help to regulate balance and equilibrium.

This condition is known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

BPPV may be treated by audiologists, chiropractors, occupational and physical therapists, physicians, and certain other medical professionals. This usually involves a simple and fairly painless procedure called the Epley Maneuver.

Take a look:



This repositioning maneuver essentially shakes the calcium crystals loose, inside the inner ear, in many cases relieving BPPV.

However, MS-related vertigo may not respond. That’s where the MS specialist enters the picture with alternate therapies and perhaps medication.

Is your head spinning yet?
Image/s:
Got vertigo? Try this first!
Created by this user
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