Is positional vertigo dangerous?what are the causes for such a vertigo?

What are the causes of non-vertigo dizziness?

• For some years now since I was around 18 years old I have been getting this dizziness when I wake up. It's not everyday day but rather on and off going into remission then coming back then going away then coming back etc.... It's only when I first wake up then usually as the day goes and the longer I've been awake, it gets better. When I wake up I feel extremely heavy, dizzy and I can't stand up and if I do I feel wobbly and un-coordinated with weak knees and I can't walk good. I feel wobbly and heavy like my legs are going to fall and I have to fall back down into the bed like something is gluing me there and pressing me down. It's not a syncope dizziness where when you stand up quickly then you get dizzy but it's a non-vertigo dizziness where I feel uncordinated sometimes and heavy and wobbly and can't walk. I'm scared and worried because I am only 29 years old and I already told the doctor and they didn't seem to concerned they just sent me for some tests and said they found nothing wrong but then why am I dizzy with heaviness and wobbly feeling and can't walk if there is nothing wrong. I almost can't get out of bed for like an hour after I wake up. Obviously there is something going on though because I keep getting this weird heavy wobbly dizzy feeling in the morning. Does anyone know what this might be? Is it some more underlying serious condition going on or is it just from (when it does occur cause it doesn't occur all the time or everyday but rather it seems I'll have remission periods when I don't have it for a few weeks or month or two so then it comes back and I will have it for a few weeks everyday when I wake up then it will go and then come back a couple months or so later or so etc...) waking up in the morning cause it only occurs when I am waking up from a nap or from sleeping. Also I am not taking any medicine that can be causing this cause I read that certain meds can cause dizziness but I am not taking any meds of any kind.

• Answer:

  Sounds like you have chronic (ongoing) benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. The symptoms of BPPV include dizziness or vertigo, lightheadedness, imbalance, and nausea. Activities which bring on symptoms will vary among persons, but symptoms are almost always precipitated by a change of position of the head with respect to gravity. Getting out of bed or rolling over in bed are common "problem" motions .An intermittent pattern is common. BPPV may be present for a few weeks, then stop, then come back again. There are two treatments of BPPV that are usually performed in the doctor's office. Both treatments are very effective, with roughly an 80% cure rate - The Epley and Semont Maneouvers. When all maneouvers have been tried and symptoms are still intolerable, surgical management (posterior canal plugging) may be offered. http://www.tchain.com/otoneurology/disorders/bppv/bppv.html