Duration vs. prognosis of dizziness when lying down | Dizziness when lying down

Duration vs. prognosis of dizziness when lying down

The prognosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is, as the name (benigne = benign) suggests, extremely good. The cause of this dizziness lies in the disturbance of one of the two organs of equilibrium. The organ of equilibrium contains so-called archways in which a fluid can move.

When the head is turned, this fluid moves in the archways and the brain receives matching information from the right and left organ of equilibrium. In positional vertigo, small stones are present in one of the two organs. These prevent the normal movement of the fluid and thus produce information from the two organs of equilibrium that do not match. This disease can be treated by simple positioning methods. The duration of the symptoms thus depends primarily on how quickly the diagnosis is made and how quickly the therapy is then carried out.

What are the accompanying symptoms of dizziness when lying down?

Typical for the dizziness when lying down are dizziness attacks that last for about 30 seconds. However, they do not only occur when lying down but also during head movements, for example when turning the head. In addition, many affected persons complain of nausea and even vomiting.

Headaches can also occur in connection with dizziness. After such a dizziness attack, the feeling of “walking on absorbent cotton” is sometimes reported. Since the dizziness attacks are triggered by a certain movement pattern, namely the rapid change of position or the rapid turning, one can often observe an avoidance behavior in affected persons.

Thus, they turn their head only very carefully and slowly, even lying down is only done carefully. Nausea and dizziness are symptoms that are very often associated with each other. The reason for this is that both feelings are processed in the central nervous system and the two affected brain regions are very closely connected.

For example, dizziness can be the cause of nausea and nausea can itself cause dizziness again. In the case of dizziness when lying down, the cause lies in the organ of balance. This confuses the brain to such an extent that dizziness attacks occur.

This sudden onset of vertigo, in turn, can provoke attacks of nausea and even vomiting. Dizziness during head rotation is also a symptom of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (see above for cause). Turning the head triggers the same movements of the stones in the archways as when lying down.

Dizziness when looking up or down or dizziness when bending down also fall under the symptoms of positional vertigo. In severe cases, nausea and vomiting may also occur. The wear and tear of the cervical spine can also cause dizziness.

The blood vessels that supply the inner ear run through a canal along the spinal cord through the vertebral bodies and then enter the base of the skull. If age-related changes occur in the area of the cervical vertebrae, these supplying blood vessels (arteria vertebralis) may be squeezed. As a result, less blood reaches the inner ear and the vestibular organ and this circulatory disorder is mainly perceived as dizziness.

This phenomenon is called vertebrobasilar insufficiency. In addition, symptoms can occur such as headaches at the back of the head, tinnitus and poorer hearing, visual disturbances in the form of double vision and other neurological deficits. However, these symptoms can also be indicative of a stroke, so a doctor should be consulted immediately if they occur.

Dizziness when getting up is usually also more likely to be caused by the cardiovascular system. The body is less active when sitting down. The heart rate falls back to its resting pulse and there is little strain on it.The longer you sit, the more your circulation calms down.

If you now stand up abruptly, it must be adapted to the new load. The heart starts beating a little faster and stronger in order to be able to supply the body with blood during its new activity. However, if this adaptation reaction is delayed, the blood pressure is temporarily too low to supply the brain with sufficient blood.

There are several possible reasons for this. In elderly patients, the aortic valve of the heart should be examined if they experience dizziness when getting up. If this is narrowed, the heart cannot pump as much blood from the ventricle into the body’s circulation as it should because the exit point is smaller (aortic valve stenosis).

As a result, less blood reaches the brain for a short time, and dizziness or blackening of the eyes occurs. A too slow heart rhythm (bradycardia), which can occur for example due to a rhythm disturbance such as the AV block, can also lead to dizziness or even fainting. In younger patients, an error in the adaptation reaction of the cardiovascular system is more likely to occur with increased stress.

This is known as orthostatic dysregulation. This can be determined with a so-called tilting table examination. Dizziness during pregnancy usually has other causes and has nothing to do with the vestibular system or its nerves.

During pregnancy the blood volume that has to be transported through the body is changed in many ways. The child’s circulation must be supplied by that of the mother. Water from the circulatory system is stored in the mother’s body and the blood vessels are generally more dilated.

This places a greater burden on the mother’s cardiovascular system and the mother’s heart must compensate for all these new factors. This can occasionally lead to low blood pressure. The low blood pressure can lead to a temporary lack of blood being supplied to the brain. This causes dizziness in the sense of a momentary “getting black before eyes”.