Vertigo

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Vertigo

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Hi, I’m a private pilot and night I had a vertigo attack while eating a burger and watching the television. Earlier in the day I had an aggressive flight with a Cfi to practice crosswind takeoffs and landings. I didn’t feel bad while flying even though I got a little scared on one of his landings. The vertigo attack happened approximately three hours after my flight. I went to the ER last night and had a CAT scan. The doctor indicated he didn’t see any problems and believed I was having a vertigo attack. I have a third class medical. I’ve been given some exercises to do with my wife which should reset whatever’s going on in my ear canal so that I don’t have further problems. How is this going to impact my flying and what experience do others have with this problem? Thank you for your time :)
 
I believe vertigo is a self-grounding event, and requires at least 90 days down time since last episode of vertigo (depending on the cause of the vertigo). It seems you now have a documented medical diagnosis of vertigo, so you have to take this seriously. I am sure another member will be more certain than I am and can give you a clearer answer.
 
Watch the 1958 Hitchcock movie two times and report back in the morning.
 
The trouble that comes with vertigo is the panic and loss of control. One has to sit back, relax, try to enjoy the feeling..................and FLY INSTRUMENTS!!
 
Yes, I have grounded myself and will be talking to my primary care doctor at the beginning of the week. I’ve also been given some exercises to do. As indicated in my original post this did not happen while I was flying but while I sat down to have dinner a couple hours after flying. I’m happy the CAT scan didn’t show any big problems.
 
Vertigo said:
Yes, I have grounded myself and will be talking to my primary care doctor at the beginning of the week. I’ve also been given some exercises to do. As indicated in my original post this did not happen while I was flying but while I sat down to have dinner a couple hours after flying. I’m happy the CAT scan didn’t show any big problems.
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Make sure you go back to the hospital and get all the records, notes, labs, scans, scan readings, etc.

You are going to need them as you navigate through this airspace. And best get them now before it gets lost in the archives or worse, deleted
 
Do the exercises. Lots of videos on YouTube. It’s very common for people have this at some point in their life. For the two that I know, the exercises cleared it up completely.
 
Yes, I’m doing the exercises that were given to me at the ER. The ER doctor know my primary care doctor and he’s also had vertigo, so he gave me good exercises
 
I have lots of experience being treated by an ENT who specialized in dizziness. Reported to the FAA with no issues. For me the reason turned out not to be inner ear related. For a single event? Hard to fix something if it isn’t broken. Could have been as simple as your posture leading to shallow breathing. Could have been sinuses. Could have been lots of things.
 
Grounding for 90 days, if it
(1) doesn't recur
(2) warranted by an ENT (not the ER doc) to not be an inner ear issue.

Are you old enough that the Epley maneuver might be of help?
 
Hi, no new issues and I’ve been seen by the er doc along with my primary care doc. My primary care doc gave me three different exercises to do along with the epily maneuvers and my primary care doc didn’t think I needed to be seen by an ENT. I did the exercises twice a day for two weeks, the exercises worked and I feel fine. I self grounded and didn’t surf or mountain bike. I’m in my 50’s. I have started surfing and mountain bike again and I have done a couple local flights with another pilot without any issues.

I feel a 100%, do you think I should push my doc to see a ENT and still self ground?

thanks for your input and stay safe :)
 
I got Vertigo once on my instrument checkride during an unusual attitude. He said you've got it when we were upside down. I recovered by looking at the AH and and mistakenly pulled back. It broke into a spin. I recovered from the vertigo and the spin while under the hood. The DPE was laughing. Unless you have ever had it, never minimize the effect. It is downright scary!
 
Vertigo said:
I feel a 100%, do you think I should push my doc to see a ENT and still self ground?
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YES to both. It is what he said and it is what he means. The FAA gets picky about ENT's and vertigo type things, no offense to your ER and Primary Docs.
 
Thanks for the additional responses. I’m only flying with another pilot and I will be scheduling a appointment with an ENT doc. Regarding the dehydration ~ I don’t think I was dehydrated
 
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