Causes of the recurrence of benign, paroxysmal positional vertigo

Abstract

Objective To investigate why benign, paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) recurs. Methods Three hundred persons diagnosed with BPPV who had been treated at Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology between April 2012 and April 2014 were given a telephone follow-up at least one year after their manual repositioning treatment. The respondents were divided into a healthy group and a recurrence group according to whether they said their vertigo had recurred. The age and gender distributions of the two groups were compared, along with their underlying diseases and living-related factors. Causes of the recurrence were then hypothesized. Results Single factor analysis and binary logistic regression analysis showed that overwork, an age over 45, travelling frequently, long use of computers, sleep disorders, oral intake of calcium tablets, posterior circulation ischemia and hyperlipidemia were all closely related to the BPPV recurrence. Age over 45 showed the strongest correlation. Conclusion Aging is the greatest risk factor for the recurrence of BPPV. Posterior circulation ischemia, hyperlipidemia, overwork, sleep disorders, long use of computers and being on business frequently are also predictors of relapse. Key words: Vertigo; Relapse; Age