Vertigo, Not the Movie

The New Year started spinning. Sorry—the room started spinning for a few seconds. I sat up too quickly in bed, and suddenly the world was off balance. It happened again a month ago but went away on its own. This time, it made me feel really sick and unable to function.

It’s called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). Tiny crystals in the inner ear, called otoconia, shift when you roll, turn, or sit up. They’re made of calcium carbonate — literally crystals — but very small, fragile, and grain‑like, almost like fine sand. Normally, they help your body sense movement and gravity. When they dislodge into the semicircular canals of the ear, they trigger that sudden whoosh of spinning. 

Some patterns show up again and again with recurrences of BPPV. Low or fluctuating vitamin D — which plays a role in how calcium is regulated in the ear — seems to be linked to more frequent episodes, and supplementing it may reduce how often it comes back.  Reduced bone density or mild osteoporosis, where the body’s calcium metabolism is altered, also appears more often in people with recurrent BPPV.  There’s even evidence that microinflammation in the inner ear and general metabolic shifts that affect how calcium is used in the body may contribute — not just simple head movements. 

There’s a simple fix if done correctly: the Epley maneuver, a sequence of head and body movements, that often helps put the crystals back where they belong. This is what I did and it seemed to work. You may have to repeat it once a day for a few days. Balance exercises, staying hydrated, and ensuring your body has the nutrients it needs can help too. Even after the crystals are back in place, it may take a few more days of mild dizziness before you feel fully normal.

It’s brief, it’s unnerving, but it’s manageable. Tiny things inside our bodies can make the world feel upside down for a moment.

And as the first day of the year, maybe that’s a thought to take: beginnings can feel spinning and unsteady. Balance requires patience, but it always returns.