Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

Key Aspect	Description
Definition	BPPV is the most common peripheral vestibular end‐organ disease characterized by sudden, transient gyratory sensations accompanied by characteristic nystagmus. Symptoms are provoked by positional changes of the head relative to gravity and can range from mild dizziness to debilitating episodes, potentially inducing nausea, and vomiting, and hindering daily functioning.
Aetiology	♦ BPPV is triggered by the dislocation of otoconia from the utricle or saccule of the vestibular system into one or more semicircular canals. Once in the canal, these otoconia can interfere with normal fluid movement that helps to sense head motion, leading to brief episodes of vertigo and nystagmus triggered by changes in head position. ♦ Various risk factors contribute to this dislocation, including head trauma, infections, metabolic disorders like diabetes, neurological conditions such as migraines and multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, prolonged bed rest, and ageing. A subset of BPPV cases is idiopathic, with no identifiable cause. ♦ There is also evidence of seasonal variations in BPPV occurrence, potentially related to vitamin D levels affecting otoconial integrity.
Prevalence	Lifetime prevalence of 2.4%, 1-year prevalence of 1.6%, 1-year incidence of 0.6%
Demographics	Most common in elderly women, peak in the sixties, women-to-men ratio of 2.4:1
Symptom...

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