According to reports, Xiao Li, a 25-year-old girl in Guangzhou, often stayed up late because she loved playing mahjong. Last year, she began to suffer from dizziness, nausea and vomiting.Recently, her "vertigo" attack occurred again. Not only did she feel dizzy, chest tightness, and even unable to walk normally. The doctor diagnosed Xiao Li with otolithiasis, which was initially determined to be related to staying up late playing mahjong for a long time and excessive fatigue.
Otolithiasis, also known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), is the most common peripheral vestibular disease and is characterized by recurrent positional vertigo.The key to maintaining balance in humans lies in the vestibular organ, in which calcium carbonate salt crystals (otoliths) in the saccule and utricle play an important role. When otoliths fall off due to head trauma, inflammation, or local structural degeneration and are displaced to the semicircular canals, changes in head position will cause the otoliths to move, affecting the flow of endolymph fluid, thereby causing vertigo.
Although otolithiasis mostly occurs in people aged 40 to 60 years, in recent years, the incidence among young people has increased significantly. Groups such as those who stay up late and those who keep their heads down have become high-risk groups.Experts point out that otolithiasis has a certain degree of self-healing property, and some patients can resolve themselves without treatment, but most patients still need otolith repositioning treatment to relieve symptoms. If residual symptoms such as drowsiness persist after reset, drug-assisted treatment may be considered.
It is worth noting that otolithiasis has a high recurrence rate, with the recurrence rate in the first year being approximately 20%, and the lifetime recurrence rate reaching 50%. If it is not treated in time or symptoms recur for a long time, it may develop into chronic dizziness or even persistent postural perceptual dizziness (PPPD). Therefore, experts remind citizens that once symptoms such as dizziness and dizziness occur, they should seek medical treatment promptly and do not delay treatment.