Feeling Dizzy When Lying Down And Closing Eyes

A feeling of dizziness or light-headedness when lying down and shutting one’s eyes should be a cause for concern. This sensation, termed medically positional vertigo, results from impairment in the inner ear. Among other parts of the inner ear that maintain balance is the utricle, which normally has tiny calcium crystals referred to as otoconia. If these crystalline bodies become detached from their normal positions, they can move around to induce a spinning effect whenever there is a change in position on the body.Knowing the actual cause is relevant to getting the correct Physical Therapy Berkeley Heights. It, therefore, requires attendees to consult with vestibular rehabilitation specialists like FYZICAL Berkeley Heights in Berkeley Heights, NJ, in order to effectively implement the management of this symptom.

What Causes Dizziness When Lying Down?

Some potential reasons for dizziness when reclining with eyes closed include:

• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is characterized by dizziness while changing positions due to the transference of calcium particles in the inner ear canals. There are symptoms where specific movements cause overturning vertigo, especially when a patient is lying down and rolling over in BPPV.
• Labyrinthitis - This is an inflammation of the inner ear , which is caused by viral. Results in frequent dizziness and instability.
• Vestibular Neuronitis - Another condition which leads to some amount of constant vertigo is due to inflammation of the vestibular nerve due to viruses leading to one major attack.
• Meniere’s Disease - Fluid buildup in inner ear compartments triggers severe vertigo spells along with tinnitus, hearing loss and ear pressure.
• Vestibular Migraine - Patients experience vertigo along with headaches. Lying down can exacerbate migrainous vertigo.
• Stroke - Rarely, dizziness upon lying down may result from circulation disorders in the brain like stroke.
• Medication side effects - Some drugs like antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and sedatives can cause lightheadedness.

Associated Symptoms

Along with dizziness when reclining, people may experience:

• Nausea, vomiting, cold sweats
• Unsteadiness when standing or walking
• Vision disturbances like blurring, bouncing, flickering
• Hearing changes like muffled sounds, ringing ears
• Headaches 
• Lightheadedness, fainting
• Motion intolerance like carsickness

If symptoms are severe, recurring or accompanied by neurological signs like weakness or slurred speech, prompt medical evaluation is warranted.

Getting a Diagnosis

To decide on the probable cause of dizziness, the physician conducts a history-taking and clinical assessment of the patient. 

The assessments involve quizzing the patient directly about his or her symptoms, a position that precipitates such conditions, other issues that come with the disease, diseases that the patient has had in the past, and other medications that the patient is using. Thus, some diagnostic procedures may include the following depending on the information that will have been obtained.

One of them is Videonystagmography (VNG), which documents a patient’s eye response to different positions in order to determine the health of the inner ear. The Video Head Impulse Test (VHIT) reveals the vestibulo-ocular reflex, vital for processing vision & balance. 

Another diagnostic modality is posturography, where the patient’s balance control mechanisms are tested by means of a platform on which shifts in the centre of gravity are recorded. 

Audiometry tests hearing capacity with a view to checking whether the inner ear has been damaged. At times, a head and neck MRI is done, wherein an MRI will take images of the brain, nerves, and vessels. Blood tests are also indicated to search for inflammation, immunity, or infection as the possible cause of dizziness.

Treatment Options

Treatment depends on the identified cause but may include:

• Medications - Drugs like antihistamines and antiemetics to control nausea and Vertigo symptoms
• Vestibular rehabilitation - Customized exercises to improve balance, coordination and vision. Habituation exercises can help decrease dizziness.
• Canalith repositioning - Gentle exercises to reposition calcium crystals within the ear to treat BPPV.
• Surgery - Rarely needed but may be an option for recurring BPPV or certain structural abnormalities.
• Lifestyle modifications - Avoiding triggers like rapid position changes, not lying down after meals, using night lights to improve safety.

Berkeley Heights Physical Therapy provided by specialists like those at FYZICAL Berkeley Heights, tailors interventions to each patient’s deficits to regain function and prevent falls.

Home Remedies and Self-care

The following are different ways through which the issue of managing dizziness when lying down can be effectively managed. This means that before you stand up after laying down, you should spend some time of about a minute or two. 

In turning or sitting up, try to avoid abrupt movements try to roll to one side first before sitting up. Reduction of movement of fluids in the inner ear that leads to vertigo can be reduced if you go to bed with raised pillows. 

Night lights can also improve safety since there may be different emergencies at night, for instance, if vertigo wakes you up. It is recommended to do some exercises in front of the eyes and such exercises as rubbing the eyes lessens the feeling of oscillation and clears vision. Hydration must be controlled to avoid cases of dizziness, and alcohol consumption should also be restricted since it worsens the condition. 

Meclizine given with a physician’s permission is usually over the counter and can often be effective for treating over episodes of vertigo. Furthermore, one may change the level of stress, which can also help to keep balance and fight dizziness using balance exercises from a vestibular therapist.

When to See a Doctor

Consult a physician promptly if you have:

• Sudden severe vertigo along with neurological signs like double vision, slurred speech, loss of balance
• Recurrent vertigo episodes that restrict daily activities 
• Persistent dizziness lasting weeks to months
• Vertigo along with hearing loss or ear pain
• Nausea and vertigo that is worsening over time
• History of head injury preceding vertigo
• Failed symptom relief from home treatments and medications

Such red flag symptoms may indicate serious underlying conditions needing medical investigation.

Conclusion

Experiencing dizziness when lying down with eyes closed can result from common vestibular disorders like BPPV or labyrinthitis. But neurological conditions like stroke need exclusion with prompt medical evaluation. 

Consulting skilled therapists like those at FYZICAL Berkeley Heights can help accurately diagnose the cause and provide customized Vestibular Rehabilitation in Berkeley Heights. Targeted exercises and balance training help regain function and resolve symptoms safely.