Annie (front row, second from left) is an adult-geriatric nurse practitioner working in otolaryngology.  She graduated with her masters and doctorate last year from the Medical University of South Carolina, and she now works in a private practice multi-specialty group called Atreus Medical Surgical Associates located in Seneca, SC. They offer quality care in ENT, pulmonology, allergy, hearing, migraine, and sleep medicine. Annie says that feels lucky to have a great mentor and coworkers at Atreus! 

In her spare time Annie enjoys taking classes at PYC, swimming, running, reading, and spending time with her family.

We asked Annie to help us understand a little more about dizziness and vertigo. Her answers were enlightening!

• What's the difference between vertigo, dizziness, and feeling lightheaded?
  Dizziness is a big umbrella term to describe different sensations people may experience.  True vertigo, is typically a room spinning sensation.  Different things can cause this, but the most common cause is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) and this causes a room spinning sensation after certain head movements.  Light headedness or a sensation that one may pass out, usually occurs from a cardiac source.  This could be an irregular heartrate or more commonly a drop in blood pressure when going from a sitting to standing position.  This is called orthostatic hypotension.  Some people describe their dizziness as an off balance, or boat rocking, sensation.  This type of dizziness is actually migraine activity.  If a person experiences any sort of dizzy sensation, evaluation with a thorough hearing test is warranted to rule out any inner ear abnormalities. 

• What are some causes or triggers of vertigo that people may not realize?

  BPPV is triggered by certain head movements, like turning to the left or right, or looking up or down.  These movements can cause the otoliths (tiny crystals made of calcium carbonate) in the inner ear to become knocked loose.  The otoliths are responsible for maintaining our balance. Room spinning occurs when the otoliths become knocked out of place.  While scary and unpleasant, BPPV is typically self limiting and often resolves on its own or with a round of physical therapy or certain repositioning maneuvers done in the office, called the Epley maneuver. 

• Can practices like yoga, tai chi, or breathwork support people experiencing vertigo or balance issues? If so, how?

  Yoga, tai chi, and breathwork can all support our balance.  Consistent practice helps strengthen our muscles of balance.  However, if someone is experiencing BPPV, they need to be very careful with yoga classes since certain movements or postures may trigger BPPV (see discussion below). 

• Are there certain movements or yoga poses that tend to aggravate vertigo symptoms?

  Most definitely!  Any of the upside down poses, like downward dog, head stands, dolphin, etc can trigger benign positional vertigo.  Any pose that requires us to turn or twist to one side can be a trigger as well. 

Thanks to Annie for taking the time to answer our questions about vertigo, dizziness, and lightheadness!