What Causes Severe Dizziness While Waking Up?

Posted on Sat, 22 Apr 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 22 Apr 2017 Answered on

Fri, 12 May 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : Dear Doctor Rynne, When I wake up in the morning and try to raise myself, then turning to sit up, the room
starts to spin. I then make an effort to put my feet on the floor and stand up, but the dizziness is so severe,
that I m forced to lie back down, until the spinning stops. The last time this happened was two days ago, when it took me two hours to recover. My question might be: What is the cause? How can I prevent the
reoccurrence?

Answered by Dr. Klarida Papaqako (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Looks like labyrinthitis or benign paroxysmal vertigo.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Thank you for using HealthcareMagic,
I read it carefully and I can understand your concern.

What you are describing seems like a problem of the inner ear. The cause is sand-like particles that move into the canaliculi of the inner ear. The sand might have formed after a viral infection causing labyrinthitis or paroxysmal benign vertigo.

It will need around 7-20 days to get better, but it may be better earlier if you try to do at home the Epley maneuver (check the video on youtube) at least 3 times/day.

Also, taking medications like Betahistine 8 mg twice/day will help you feel much better.

Hope this is helpful.
Let me know if you need more clarifications.

Regards,
Dr.Papaqako

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee