Dizziness when lying down - asvice please

[Anonymous]

My DW started feeling dizzy yesterday when she lies down. I think it is something to do with her ear.
Could somebody advise what type of dr we should see? A general practitioner or an ENT? We are new to the US and have not been to a dr yet. Insurance is not a problem because we get reimbursed later.
Would like to see some key today, should we go to a hospital?
We live in Falls Church
Thanks

[Anonymous]

If you can see an ENT, that would be best, or a general practitioner. The ER is a place of last resort.

[Anonymous]

She could have some water in her ear which could cause some dizziness/vertigo. I had this happen a few months ago, however I did not go see a doctor. It only lasted that one day.

If she is still having the issue today, start with a general practitioner. This is not something that warrants a visit to the emergency room. You could go to an urgent care clinic instead. Just do a search for "urgent care falls church."

[Anonymous]

You should ask neighbors, friends, or co-workers to recommend an internist or family medicine doctor and make an appointment. As you are not an existing patient, you will probably not be able to get an appointment today, but it is not impossible.

It is impossible to see an ENT today. They are specialists whose schedules book up weeks or months in advance.

Do not go to the hospital. The only way to get seen at a hospital is via the emergency room, and unless this problem is much more serious than it sounds, this is not an emergency room kind of problem.

If your DW really wants to be seen today, she has one option, which is called an urgent care clinic. Ask for recommendations for those run nearby. They are for problems that can't wait for a doctor's appointment but aren't serious enough for the emergency room. You see whatever doctor is working there, as opposed to developing a long-term relationship with someone. I tend not to like them so haven't used any here, but Inova (the main hospital group) runs some, so that is probably where I would look first.

You might also want to try some Sudafed or Afrin.

[Anonymous]

If it continues, see Urgent Care, as previous poster stated. They can check BP, give her an overall look.

[Anonymous]

Does she have vertigo? Was she recently in a car crash or any other situation where she might have been upside down? Does the dizziness always happen when she moves her head a certain way when getting in or out of bed? In my case it was a concussion and I almost vomited every time I got out of the bed to use the bathroom. Fortunately, we found a fabulous ENT specialilst in Vertigo. This is a very new technique discovered by the military when they performed autopsies on jet fighter pilots who suffered vertigo. What happens is that tiny crystals that are suppoed to be in one chamber of the ear get jossled around and wind up in another ear cavity. The ENT will put you in a special chair, study your irises, then ask what movemnt makes you feel queasy. HE will repeatedly try to replicate the movement, to the point of turning you upside down (in the special chair) to relocate those crystals. He can tell if he's successful by watching your eyes while doing the procedure.

My doc went back to research so I can't recomment him. This treatment plan is only 10 years old. Not many ENTs know about it. Only the youngest ones coming out of med. school seem to be aware of it and purchase the fancy chair.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

can recommend the Feldman ENT Group, multiple offices in the area - may not get an appt. today but it shouldn't take months, maybe a few days if you can be flexible

[Anonymous]

Look into benign paroxysmal positioning vertigo. I had that years ago. It took an ENT to diagnose it, general doc thought I had low blood pressure.

[Anonymous]

Is it vertigo brought on by the barometric pressure change due to the wet weather yesterday and today? If she doesn't feel better soon, see your general practitioner doctor. Can't remember if they have meds for vertigo but they will advise you how to do some head turning exercises to get it at bay.

[Anonymous]

Former vertigo sufferer. Drink lots of water and take an antihistamine. Mine seemed linked to dehydration and often led to hospitalization.