PS - I have written stories about the medical occurrence known as vertigo twice in the past. It has been 7 years since I last wrote about it, and perhaps you may have forgotten what to do if it strikes you or a friend. So, it may help if you have recently read about it one more time. Read on.....
It was an ordinary day. Had just turned over a page in my latest Reader's Digest magazine when there it was! A full page with the heading: At-Home Treatment. I read...for the most common cause of vertigo, BPPV, your doctor may suggest the Epley Maneuver. Perform each step in order, holding each position for 30 to 60 seconds. Wow! did that page bring back memories from the past. I instantly tore out the page and walked to the bedroom where my wife was watching TV with The Gray Lady, one of our cats. "Here...put this in your pocketbook!" I told her as I handed her the page from the magazine. We talked about the very first time that she had vertigo...when she was two months pregnant with our first child. It was in the middle of the night when she woke up and kept looking to her right. As she laid there, her dresser went above her, over the ceiling. She immediately became sick to the stomach and dizzy. I helped her to the bathroom, but that didn't help much. She thought she was having a miscarriage and called Dr. Grant. He was at the hospital at the time and recommended I take her to the hospital. We went to the hospital where her doctor gave her pills to take if it came back again. Shortly after, during a visit to our family doctor, Dr. Stengel showed her how to do the Epley maneuver. Carol has experienced vertigo a few times since that scary night, but at least knows what to expect. We have a paper that shows a series of steps to follow to relieve the dizziness. And...those are the steps that I found when I turned the page in my Reader's Digest magazine a few minutes ago. The following are the At-Home Treatment steps to follow if you too feel extremely dizzy and experience vertigo.
1. Sit on your bed. Turn your head 45 degrees toward the affected ear. (If you are dizzy when you roll your head to the right, it's likely your right ear.)
2. Keep your head turned, lie back so your head hangs off the bed.
3. Slowly turn your head 90 degrees toward the other side.
4. Roll onto your side in the direction you are looking, then turn your head so you're looking down.
5. Sit upright, keeping your head turned.
TIP: If you can, have someone with you for support as you will likely be experiencing vertigo which is: a sensation of whirling and loss of balance, associated particularly with looking down from a great height, or caused by disease affecting the inner ear or the vestibular nerve; giddiness.
Carol has experienced vertigo several time since her initial bout with it. A few times it has been while on vacation...and if that's not a bit scary! She has a paper with the directions on it that she always carries and then I try and help her follow the directions when it hits her. It still is scary, but at least she realizes what it is when it strikes her and she knows what to do to manage it. You never know when it will hit you and if you ever experience something like what you just read about...make sure that you know where your directions may be to help you manage it. Print out the following directions and keep then with you at all times. Perhaps in your wallet if you are a man, or in your purse if a woman. And...best of luck! You will be very scared when it hits, but it won't last forever...if you can use the At-Home Treatment. It was another ordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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