Why Do I Feel Nauseated When I Raise My Head?

Posting Date: 10/06/2000

Lester in New Hampshire: I'm an older guy who used to be a sailor and a pilot in the Navy. In those days, I had mild problems with motion sickness, but as I've aged it's gotten worse.

My balance is thrown off. Sometimes when I am lying down, just raising my head is enough to make me feel nauseated.

I am planning a trip to Cuba with four friends, and this is very disruptive. What can I do?

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Dr. Dean: I don't think you have motion sickness. You probably have a condition called benign positional vertigo, which is curable, so don't give up on your trip.

Make an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor. Tell the doctor that your "cousin" the doctor thinks you have benign positional vertigo. That way we can spare you from unnecessary tests and at the same time keep the doctor who exams you from getting ruffled feathers.

We only recently figured out benign positional vertigo. It seems to be caused by little calcifications that stimulate the tiny hairs in the inner ear when you move your ear. The doctor can remedy this just by rotating your head. It's the simplest thing. You lie down and the doctor twists your head one way and then the other, and those calcifications move out of the way.