About 10 years ago, I started to get horrible pain on the left side of my face, felt like someone was stabbing me with an ice pick in my left ear. I was getting migraines because of it. I also noticed that my balance was getting worse, especially on the left side. After ignoring the problem, I finally made an appointment with an ENT to get it looked at.

He held my head and then started moving it around like he was playing one of those 3D maze games and it immediately stopped the symptoms. I was floored. At that point, nobody had ever properly diagnosed it, and that includes docs at UCLA who put me in one of those rotating chair torture devices and spun me in all kinds of horrific positions! Ugh just thinking about it makes me nauseated.

Am pretty sure it is the right ear, but not positive yet.

I get my ears cleaned out once a year so I have the balance doc on speed dial. 😀
I’ve got the Epley down pat. Wondering if excessive carbs affects it.

Or do they just eventually get stuck somewhere....until they don't....or, are new ones constantly appearing?

I've assumed it was just one rogue crystal antagonizing me my whole life.

According to this article it sounds like more can come into existence.
https://news.sanfordhealth.org/ear-nose-throat/ear-crystals-dizziness/

Doing the Epley maneuver on both sides fixed it for me.

In March, 2022, I had my first vertigo episode while lying over the side of the bed looking for our cat beneath the bed. It was the full-blown thing with eye-rolling, disorientation and nausea. I called my primary care physician and he asked me to come in for a visit later that day. After a quick check-up he asked if he could do a test to check for a condition called "positional vertigo". He said that if I had that type of vertigo the test would probably cause another episode and while it's not a fun experience, we would know what's wrong. So, he did the Dix-Hallpike test, normally used to determine which side is affected, and WHAM another episode, worse than the first. It was classic BPPV.

So, long story made short - he referred me to a vestibular rehabilitation program at a local hospital. He said that at my age (73) there might be other issues that could affect balance and he preferred that I get a full work-up. I learned that I did have several other age-related balance issues that would probably get worse over time and the physical therapists taught me exercises to improve those things.

Regarding the BPPV, one attempt at the Epley maneuver to reposition the calcium carbonate crystals worked for me. I haven't had an episode in over a year. I was cautioned that the condition can return if the inner ear starts shedding crystals again but I haven't experienced that and hope I don't, of course.

The crystals can be absorbed in the semi-circular canals over time but the simplest thing is to get an Epley maneuver performed. It's not a comfortable thing, and you'll get some vertigo at the beginning and end of the maneuver, but that's just proof that the crystals are on the move from where they don't belong back to where they should be.

There are lots of good resources on the internet including videos on YouTube. I wish you well.

She could tell which side had the problem by watching my eyeball spin, which I thought was interesting.

It requires someone to help you. On You Tube there are lots of videos showing it. It takes a couple of minutes--I was instantly relieved, after about a week of being bedridden. Best wishes to you. It is really a drag!

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/home-epley-maneuver

My 80 yr old spouse had to first take a Meclizine tablet to ease the vertigo. Then I helped him lay back on bed with pillow under head and directed and timed the head movements. Just doing the maneuver twice has relieved the vertigo for several months now.

Spouse had suffered from vertigo spells and we told our regular Dr. who only recommended taking Meclizine but never mentioned the possibility of head maneuver therapy so we were in dark. Thankfully a friend mentioned to us about crystals possibly being the cause and I looked it up online and found the Johns Hopkins Epley maneuver video.