At this point in my husband’s journey, I figured we were pretty well set. I have been studying PD for the past decade and thought I  could see the direction we were headed. His symptoms were progressing slowly but not really changing. Then he went to bed feeling a bit “wobbly” on a Saturday night and woke up Sunday with full-on vertigo. I knew how serious it was when he willingly took to his walker.

What I have since learned is that approximately 10% of People with PD will develop vertigo, mostly in the later stages of their journey. Interestingly enough, the Parkinson’s Foundation sent out a podcast on vertigo just a week after he started experiencing it. According to them, the first step is to differentiate from neurogenic orthostatic hypotension which is indicated by dizziness or lightheadedness created by fluctuations in blood pressure. My husband was not lightheaded, but had the sensation that the room was moving around him. According to the Parkinson’s Foundation article, causes can include medications, a viral infection, an inner ear disorder or even a stroke.

He has seen his Primary Care Doctor and an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist(ENT), both suspect it is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo and have referred him for further testing. The challenge is that the treatment for this disorder involves quick movements of the head to realign crystals in the inner ear canals. At this stage of my husband’s journey with PD, nothing in his body moves quickly. The ENT also recommended physical therapy and has referred him to a PT who specializes in neurological conditions. I’ll be scheduling an appointment for him there as soon as possible.

In the meantime, he keeps his walker close by. The episodes of vertigo come and go and usually only last a minute or two. It is limiting some of his movement, but he has been able to keep up with most of his exercises with modifications. And, I remain ever vigilant, making sure that he is steady and stable and keeping an eye out for those off moments. Vertigo can lead to falls, we definitely don’t need to add that to the mix.

For more on vertigo and PD, check out Vertigo, Dizziness & Low Blood Pressure on the Parkinson’s Foundation website.