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Showing posts from September, 2020

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After your Epley manoeuvre — patient information leaflet

  What this leaflet tells you This leaflet explains what to expect after the Epley (canalith repositioning) manoeuvre for posterior-canal BPPV, what you should and shouldn’t do, and when to seek help.   1. Quick summary — what the Epley did The manoeuvre moves tiny particles (otoconia) out of the balance canal of your inner ear and back into a place where they don’t cause spinning (vertigo). Most people feel much better after one or a few treatments. However BPPV can come back (recurrence is common).   2. How you may feel immediately afterwards You may feel dizzy or off-balance for a few minutes to a few hours; nausea is possible.   Some people feel better straightaway; others get gradual improvement over days.   Rarely ,you may have brief recurrences of vertigo — this does not always mean the manoeuvre failed.   3. Activity and posture — what the evidence says Good news: High-quality studies and recent guidelines show that strict he...

Why do I have regurgitation of food?

Which sphincter prevents regurgitation of food from the stomach? Our food pipe starts in the neck and connects the back of the throat to the stomach. At both ends of the food pipe or oesophagus, there is a ring of muscle which prevents food and acid from the stomach from coming back into the throat. Which conditions can present as regurgitation or dysphagia? Regurgitation of undigested food or acid can be due to slowly growing conditions such as: The tightness of the upper ring muscle (Cricopharyngeal spasm) Web formation in the food pipe Out-pouching of the food pipe (Pharyngeal Pouch) Stricture or tightness of the food pipe because of a previous injury such as a burn The food pipe muscles unable to relax due to a stroke.  In some cases, it can present suddenly due to obstruction of the food pipe due to a foreign body. You should attend A&E if you suspect that you have a sudden onset complete dysphagia.  In some patients, this can be the presentation of cancer in the food...