Do you often feel like you’re floating or rocking, without feeling nauseous, because of external stimuli like crowds or a certain environment? Then you may be suffering from persistent postural perceptual dizziness. This little-known disorder can disrupt your entire life, from your work to your social and home life.
This isn’t the kind of disorder that you should just ignore. Instead, you need to visit your doctor and get tested, and then learn everything you can about the disorder. This will allow you to go on with your life without too much disruption.
Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) causes feelings of dizziness that are often described as a sensation of floating or rocking. It’s associated with disruptions in the brain’s visual processing and postural control mechanisms. It is often provoked by environmental or social stimuli. PPPD is most common in women, but it can occur in men and even in children.
With this disorder, there is no feeling of nausea along with the dizziness, and it usually starts after an event that causes vertigo or unsteadiness such as a:
The exact cause of PPPD isn’t known, but it’s usually triggered by a specific event that involves dizziness or unsteadiness. As a result of this dizziness or unsteadiness, the brain’s ability to perceive movement or space is impeded. Unfortunately, this faulty sense of perception can linger long after the causing event, making you feel as if you’re rocking when you’re not. This can continue for up to 3 months after the initiating event.
Although PPPD is a chronic vestibular disorder, it is also associated with certain psychiatric conditions such as:
These conditions can make it more likely for people to develop PPPD. Psychiatric issues can also occur because of PPPD, further impacting your quality and enjoyment of life.
The symptoms of persistent postural perceptual dizziness are actually quite vague. Primarily, if you suffer from this disorder, then you will experience persistent feelings of rocking or swaying and/or dizziness without vertigo. These sensations should be present on more days than not over a period of three months, though most people experience them every day.
These symptoms may appear or get worse when you:
PPPD is usually triggered by a specific event, though it’s often difficult to identify the causing event. It’s rare for PPPD to occur on its own. PPPD can also occur in conjunction with mood disorders or vestibular disorders, which can make identifying the condition difficult.
Diagnosing persistent postural perceptual dizziness isn’t easy, as there isn’t a specific test for this disorder. There are 5 criteria that must be met to diagnose PPPD, which are:
The final criteria means that your doctor will have to exclude other conditions and disorders to diagnose PPPD. To do this, they will usually need to do a variety of tests such as:
If you have PPPD, most of these tests will be normal. Or they might show a current or previous health issue that doesn’t explain all of your symptoms. This can be a long and laborious process, and you will need to be patient to get a correct diagnosis.
You will need to see your doctor if you have persistent postural perceptual dizziness as there are things that your doctor can do about it. Correcting this disorder basically means re-establishing your brain’s sense of perception and balance using strategies like:
Most of the time, people with PPD experience relief with these therapies. However, some people experience symptoms permanently.
There isn’t a lot of information on whether persistent postural-perceptual dizziness is a long-term condition. That’s why you need to see your doctor as soon as possible if you have this disorder. They will be able to help you begin therapies that will limit the impact of this condition on your life. This will help you get back to your normal level of activities.
It's also important that you identify any other conditions that may complicate your recovery, such as Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS).
When you’re stressed because of ill health, relationship problems, work, or environmental issues, AFS may develop. When you’re stressed, the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response activates to make changes throughout the body’s organs and systems. These changes are designed to help you cope with stress and ensure that you survive it.
Unfortunately, stress in the modern world isn’t temporary; it tends to be permanent and chronic. This causes long-term activation of the NEM stress response. As a result, the adrenal glands can become fatigued. The adrenal glands are an essential part of the NEM stress response as they release cortisol, known as the stress hormone, which then prompts changes in the body’s organ systems. These organ systems are divided into six related circuits. The high demand for cortisol can deplete essential resources and cause dysregulation in various organ systems, causing ongoing health problems.
It may be very difficult for you to identify and get help recovering from AFS. This condition is not yet acknowledged by the medical establishment, and it causes such a wide range of symptoms that the underlying problem can be difficult to identify. It may also be linked with persistent postural perceptual dizziness. Here’s how:
The Neuroaffect circuit consists of the physical structures of the brain, the microbiome, and the autonomic nervous system. This circuit can develop malfunctions when you have AFS, causing imbalances in the neurotransmitters (NTs) that your brain communicates with. This can lead to issues like mood disorders, sleeping problems, and neurodegeneration. This could easily cause or worsen any persistent postural perceptual dizziness. It may also make it more difficult for you to recover from this condition.
Persistent postural perceptual dizziness is usually brought on by a certain event or health issue that causes dizziness and changes the way the brain perceives movement. Unfortunately, if you have AFS, then you’re more likely to suffer from an event like this.
Changes in the Neuroaffect Circuit caused by stress can affect brain and microbiome health, which makes you more likely to suffer from brain-related issues and conditions. AFS is also associated with other issues that may bring on a dizziness event such as:
AFS makes it more likely for you to experience one of these events. And if you already have poor brain health because of AFS, then you might be more likely to experience PPPD after such a health event.
In this case, it is important to see a doctor who is aware of AFS and who can help make a plan for adrenal recovery part of your plan to address PPPD.
Persistent postural perceptual dizziness can be frightening, embarrassing, and cause psychological symptoms that will only complicate your recovery. It can make it very difficult for you to live a normal life. If you have this disorder, don't ignore it. Here’s what you should do instead:
If you would like to know more about PPPD or how it can be affected by AFS, the team at Dr. Lam Coaching can help. We offer a free** no-obligation phone consultation at +1 (626) 571-1234 where we will privately discuss any issues you may have. You can also send us a question through our Ask The Doctor system by clicking here.
Persistent postural perceptual dizziness is a condition that causes dizziness and the feeling of rocking or floating without nausea. It usually occurs after a specific event and can cause physical and psychological symptoms that will only complicate your symptoms and impact your quality of life.
