Dizziness as otoliths

       Vertigo is one of the most common symptoms in neurology clinics. People suffering from vertigo often experience sudden spinning sensations, often accompanied by fear, sweating, nausea, and vomiting, which can last for a few seconds or minutes, or for hours or days, and can be very distressing. There are also people with vertigo who exhibit a wobbly and unstable walk, a sense of intoxication, and a sense of floating.  There are also many causes of vertigo, the most common of which are cervical spondylosis, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (otolithiasis), Meniere’s syndrome, vestibular neuronitis, labyrinthitis, cerebrovascular disease (insufficient blood supply to the vertebral artery), intracranial occupancy, infectious diseases, etc. The disease otoliths is new to everyone, but it accounts for one third of vertigo patients.  ”Do stones grow in the ears too?” Many people would ask such a question. Actually there is a stone in the ear, but it is very subtle. It is located on the ellipsoidal and balloon sacs in the upper posterior part of the vestibule of the inner ear, and it is the sensory linear acceleration structure called the saccular patch. It has an otolithic membrane on its surface called the otolith.  If for some reason the otolith is dislodged from the ellipsoidal sac to the semicircular canal, it can easily cause vertigo. This is because the semicircular canal is a device responsible for managing balance. When a person changes position, the direction of lymphatic fluid flow in the semicircular canal changes accordingly, thus transmitting information to the balance nerve to regulate body balance. When the otolith is dislodged, it will directly affect the flow of lymphatic fluid and provide the wrong stimulation information to the balance nerve, and the balance nerve will not be able to cope with the load of this information, which can trigger vertigo.  Therefore, it is called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, also called otolithiasis. The Dix-Hallpike tumble test is the gold standard for detecting otoliths, and the Epley maneuver can cure otoliths.  Epley hemimandibular otolith repositioning: The patient is seated longitudinally on the bed with the examiner holding the head behind him/her and the following steps are performed Step 1 The patient is seated on the diagnostic bed with the head rotated 45° to the right (left) side and a pillow placed behind the back for shoulder padding when lying supine.  Step 2 Quickly lie down with shoulder pads, extend the neck and place the head on top of the bed with the affected ear down.  Step 3 Gradually turn the head upright and continue turning 45° to the opposite side so that the otolith moves closer to the total foot, maintaining the head position for more than 30 seconds.  Step 4 Turn the head and trunk simultaneously 135° to the healthy side to return the otolith to the oval sac, maintaining this position for more than 30 seconds.  Step 5 The head is turned to the front and the patient is allowed to sit up slowly in a head straight position. At this point, the Epley otolith repositioning is fully completed.  The physical method, i.e. the repositioning of the otolith by certain techniques, allows most patients to return the otolith to its place and the vertigo disappears. It was through our examination that Ms. Wu had otoliths and took the right approach that she got immediate results.  So for a patient with vertigo, especially the neurologist and neurosurgeon must check carefully, and after ruling out undergraduate diseases must consult the ENT department to maximize the cure of the patient’s disease.