A famous female star revealed that she suffers from an "incurable disease"! Doctors warn that this disease is easily misdiagnosed and will recur repeatedly

In recent days, the singer Penny Tai, who has not been seen for a long time, has suddenly become the focus again. The TV series "Meteor Garden" was popular all over the country, and the songs in the show also became popular. Penny Tai's "The Love You Want" is one of them.

Image source: Weibo @戴佩妮

However, this time she returned to the public eye because of her personal health condition. She revealed that she suffered from otolith abscessation, and would feel dizzy whenever she moved her head, which worried many fans.

"When I lie down, I get 360-degree dizziness, like a capsized boat. Once it happens, I have to go to the doctor to reset it. Even after treatment, I will still feel dizzy for a long time. The doctor said that this disease will recur throughout my life."

Dizziness when the head moves is a typical symptom

Why is this disease called "incurable"?

Doctors say that otolithiasis, also known as "benign paroxysmal positional vertigo," is a peripheral vestibular disease induced by changes in head position relative to gravity, characterized by repeated episodes of transient vertigo and characteristic nystagmus. It is one of the most common vertigo diseases and often occurs when getting up, lying down, turning over in sleep, lowering the head, or raising the head. Therefore, many people think it is caused by cervical spondylosis or poor rest, but ignore this disease with a very high misdiagnosis rate.

The typical symptom of otolithiasis is short-term severe vertigo induced by body position, which usually lasts no more than 1 minute and often occurs when changing from sitting to lying or turning over in a lying position. Vertigo may be accompanied by symptoms of autonomic dysfunction such as nausea, vomiting, sweating, and nystagmus. After an attack of vertigo, the patient may feel lightheaded, floating, or unstable for a period of time.

Different from the kidney stones that we are familiar with, otoliths are calcium carbonate crystals in the inner ear that sense the changes in the center of gravity of the human body. They look like stones under a microscope, hence the name "otoliths". Normally, otoliths adhere to the otolith membrane, but certain factors can induce otoliths to fall off and enter the inner ear lymph.

The detached otoliths are in the lymphatic fluid of the semicircular canals of the inner ear, and they "collide freely" as the head moves, just like someone keeps beating a gong next to your ear. Wouldn't that make you dizzy? The detachment of otoliths is also based on a similar principle. Only when the head stops moving, the otoliths will be redeposited and the dizziness will stop. Just like the sand in a water cup, if you move the water cup, the sand will also shake and float. If you put down the water cup, the sand will settle back to the bottom of the cup.

Otolithiasis can be restored to normal after a single attack, but because there are more than one otolith, there is a certain risk of it falling off and the disease will recur. Penny Dai had three attacks in three years, so in a sense, otolithiasis is also called an "incurable disease."

There are many causes of otolithiasis, mainly including mental and psychological factors such as fatigue, staying up late, stress, mental tension, anxiety, etc.; peripheral circulation blood supply disorders caused by hypertension and diabetes; during menopause, the estrogen level drops, leading to calcium deficiency and osteoporosis; aging of the otoliths leads to degenerative changes in the utricle or saccule. In addition, some secondary factors can also cause otolith shedding, such as sudden deafness, vestibular neuritis, Meniere's disease, otitis media, ear trauma, and ear vibration.

Otolithiasis can occur at any age, but it is more common in middle-aged and elderly people, especially women over 50 years old. The occurrence of otolithiasis is related to age, gender, genetics and other factors. The incidence of otolithiasis increases with age, which may be related to the aging, shedding and deposition of otoliths.

Minimize changes in body position until complete reduction

After resetting, please pay attention to the following points

Doctors say that the most important and effective way to treat otolithiasis is repositioning. Manual repositioning is the most common method, which means that under the guidance and help of doctors, the otoliths are returned to the vestibule by changing body positions. Before the otoliths are completely repositioned, patients should avoid all kinds of strenuous exercise and reduce changes in body or head positions to prevent the otoliths from falling off again.

In addition to manual repositioning, traditional Chinese medicine treatment is also an option for otolithiasis. Through traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, massage techniques, etc., we provide patients with personalized treatment plans.

However, the treatment of otolithiasis is not a permanent solution. Since there is more than one otolith, there is a risk of it falling off, so there is a possibility of recurrence of otolithiasis. According to statistics, the recurrence rate of otolithiasis within one year is about 24%. In order to prevent the otoliths from "escaping again", patients need to pay special attention to the following points after repositioning:

1. Sit quietly for half an hour on the day of resetting to help stabilize the otolith in the utricle and prevent it from falling off again;

2. Within 3 days after repositioning treatment, raise the head of the bed by 20 degrees, and lie down and turn over gently when sleeping;

3. Avoid hairdressing and dental examinations within one week, as these examinations may require the patient to keep the head in certain special positions, which may cause the otoliths to fall off again;

4. Avoid strenuous exercise within half a month, ensure adequate sleep, a good mood, and avoid smoking and drinking, so as to prevent anxiety, impatience, lack of sleep, and excessive fatigue from inducing otolith shedding again.

The occurrence and recurrence of otolithiasis are related to lifestyle habits. Patients should pay attention to the following points:

1. Avoid changes in head or body position that may induce dizziness, such as getting up quickly, lowering your head, raising your head, turning over, etc.

2. Maintain good sleep and rest, and avoid fatigue and stress.

3. Increase the amount of exercise, improve blood circulation, and promote the absorption and excretion of otoliths.

4. Supplement enough calcium to prevent osteoporosis and protect the stability of otoliths.

5. Regular follow-up examinations should be conducted to promptly detect and treat the recurrence or complications of otolithiasis.

If you or someone around you has symptoms of otolithiasis, do not ignore or treat it yourself, but seek medical attention in time for professional diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, you should also pay attention to maintaining good living habits, avoiding factors that induce or aggravate otolithiasis, protecting your balance organs, and making your life more stable and comfortable.

Source: Metropolitan Express, Newsroom, Healthy Nanning