While I have never experienced vertigo (short of watching Hitchcock’s masterpiece, who in any case distorts what vertigo means), my husband has dealt with BPPV for some time. I have watched him wake up in a completely different world, one where he can barely put one foot in front of another. Thankfully, rehabilitation therapy and some positioning exercises can help, which is why I was happy that this month’s topic was dealing with dizziness.
This post was primarily written by our contributor, but it needed some editing. I added an intro and rearranged the content to help readers understand the topic better.
What are the causes of dizziness? Can occupational therapy help?
with advice from Chase Webre, OTR, CHT
It is a Monday morning, and you wake up in bed like normal. But when you sit up, the world crashes around you. The room appears to be spinning, and you can’t get it to stop. Your balance is unsteady. You feel like you might collapse or faint. What could cause this?
The causes of dizziness can be broken down into four categories, explains occupational therapist Chase Webre: Otologic (inner ear), central/neurologic (brain), medical, and psychological. If you start to suffer from dizziness, it is best to first see a physician to determine which of these categories your dizziness will fall into. If your problem falls into the central/neurologic, medical or psychological categories, a doctor is most likely the best healthcare professional to start treating the condition.