I feel dizzy and nauseous when I sit up in a bed- BPPV

이상일의 한의원 영어- “English of, for and by 한의사” (36)

2014-02-21     이상일
How are you today? BPPV(Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) is very common and many people come to get acupuncture or herbal medicine for this condition. Let’s learn how we can talk about BPPV during a consultation

Dr.Lee : Nice to meet you Simon. What’s the matter?

Simon
: Nice to meet you doctor. I came here to see if my brain is ok.

Dr.Lee
: What do you mean?

Simon :
When I got up this morning, I felt so dizzy that I almost fell down on the ground. I also felt nauseous.

Dr.Lee :
Is this your first experience of such symptoms?

Simon:
No. Actually I’ve had it before especially when I was tired. I guess it is recurrent.

Dr.Lee
: Ok. Let me ask you a few questions. When did you feel dizzy?

Simon:
When I sit up in a bed, turn my head and suddenly move my head.

Dr.Lee
: Have your head been hit by anything or hit on the ground?

Simon
: No, I haven’t.

Dr.Lee
: I’ll check your eye movement. Please lie down on the bed. I’ll perform something called the Dix-Hallpike maneuver to see if your problem comes from displacement of otoconia*. How do you feel?
*oncotonia: 이석

Simon
: Oh, I feel dizzy! Can’t see clearly right now.

Dr.Lee
: I also can see your eye is rapidly and repetitively moving. This is called nystagmus*. It mainly comes from head injury, inner ear disorder, stroke, or vit B12 deficiency. Overall, I’ll assume that you’re suffering from BPPV.
*nystagmus: 안진증, 안구떨림

Simon:
What is that?

Dr.Lee
: It’s the acronym for benign paroxysmal* positional vertigo. It is the most common disorder of the inner ear’s vestibular system, which is a vital part of maintaining balance. BPPV is benign, meaning that it is not life-threatening nor generally progressive. BPPV produces a sensation of spinning called vertigo that is both paroxysmal and positional, meaning it occurs suddenly and with a change in head position. I don’t think you have any brain problems for this reason.
*paroxysmal: 발작성의
Simon: How can you fix my problem then?

Dr.Lee
: You’ll be doing a simple exercise. It’s called an Epley maneuver. After that, you’ll be getting some acupuncture treatment for 20 minutes.

Simon:
Ok doctor. How many times should I visit the clinic?

Dr.Lee
: I need you to check if your symptoms disappear today after treatment. If not, please visit my clinic again tomorrow.

Simon
: All right. Thanks.

궁금하신 점이나 건의사항 있으시면 lsi99@hanmail.net 로 컨택해주세요.
Published by Lee, Sang-il
Edited by Anna Joy Toombs & Troy Flowers