A story of COPD, vertigo, and a Jamaican ‘coal miner’

Those of us with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often have to juggle several other conditions. For me, that includes vertigo, which is usually caused by a sinus infection.

Last week, I was having chills and a slight fever, but the fever wasn’t too bad, and I didn’t feel awful, so I ignored the symptoms. That tactic ended when I nearly face-planted on my bedroom floor. Thankfully, my closet door was close enough for me to grab and prevent the fall.

As I clung to the door, I thought about my friend Sue, who keeps a cane by her bed for her bouts of vertigo. I had a cane from the time I smashed my foot, but it was downstairs in a closet. I knew that stairs weren’t my friend that day, so I grabbed a different decorative cane that was propped up under a picture of a Jamaican coal miner.

Both the picture and the cane were produced by a talented wood carver who was also an astute salesperson with some knowledge of geography and U.S. exports. We were in Jamaica on summer vacation and had hired a local guide to show us around the island. The carver asked my husband and me where we were from, and when we said West Virginia, he exclaimed that he had the perfect thing for us: a carved and painted picture of a Jamaican coal miner. We doubted Jamaica had coal miners, but the intaglio looked like a miner, so we purchased it.

Our instincts were correct about coal in Jamaica, but the picture depicts a person with a hard hat and goggles, so we’re happy with the purchase. The cane was just beautiful, so we bought it, too.

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Antibiotics to the rescue

I have antibiotics on hand for certain emergencies, such as when I have vertigo and can’t drive, so I started taking them and called my doctor to inform him of what I was doing. Day two of the treatment led to a lot of popping, cracking, and drainage that I could hear behind my ears. I no longer felt dizzy, except when I suddenly moved my head or got up too fast.

Though the room was no longer spinning by the evening of the second day, I felt lightheaded and was unsure of my balance, so I was careful as I headed out to feed my dog. I made sure to hold onto something to steady myself.

I know better than to ignore symptoms, but this time I did and paid a price for it. It wasn’t as bad as it would’ve been if I’d face-planted, of course.

There was another indication that something was wrong: My cat insisted on sleeping curled around my head. I’ll take this experience as a lesson to never ignore my symptoms.

Have you had episodes of vertigo along with your COPD? Let me know about them in the comments.

Note: COPD News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of COPD News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.