Vitamin D Supplements can Save from Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

A new study published in the journal Neurology (online issue) reveals that vitamin D supplements and calcium reduce the risk of Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Ji-Soo Kim, from the Seoul National University College of Medicine, says that this study suggests vertigo patients to use vitamin D supplements and calcium to prevent recurring episodes of vertigo. It is significantly helpful for people who have low Vit D and calcium- shown by low bone density.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is a medical condition that shows up as a spinning sensation followed by dizziness. Normally, it results after a sudden change in the position of the head and is the most common form of vertigo in people.

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There is a surgical alternative for extreme cases where the doctor uses a bone plug and somehow blocks the inner part of the ear which induces dizziness. This plug also stops the semicircular canal in the patient’s ear to respond as per the movements of the head. This surgery has an up to a 95% success rate.

It is treatable by changing the head movements to find out which head position triggers it. This way the risk of recurring Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is reduced.

More than 86% of vertigo patients say that their medical condition affects the quality of their life and work performance. Many of them take an off from work due to a recurring episode of vertigo.

This study investigated 957 vertigo patients which received treatment and were healed. The researchers sorted these people into two groups. In group one, the intervention group, 445 people were added. Their vitamin D levels were measured and recorded to be 20 (ng/mL) or low. They were given supplements of vitamin D and calcium, two times a day. People having healthy vitamin D levels were not given these supplements.

The remaining 512 people were added into group two, the observation group. These people were not given any supplements and no record of Vit D and calcium was obtained.

The group which took vitamin D and calcium supplements experienced fewer events of Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo as compared to the other, observation group.

It appears that taking these two vital supplements has higher benefits for vertigo patients especially if they are deficient in both these nutrients. The researchers who have worked on this study say that these results are exciting because it will allow doctors to plan a customized treatment plan for every patient, based on his calcium and vitamin D levels.

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Using the supplements along with the medications and controlling tips can make the treatment of vertigo easy, inexpensive, and affordable for everyone.

The only limitation to this study is that not all participants were able to complete the study. Many people missed taking their dosage and some of them were dropped from the observation group. Still, it has given an insight that this approach may be helpful to reduce the onset of vertigo symptoms which are affecting the quality of life in patients.