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Vertigo - positional - aftercare; Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo - aftercare; BPPV - aftercare; Dizziness - positional vertigo DescriptionYou may have seen your health care provider because you have had benign positional vertigo. It is also called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. BPPV is the most common cause of vertigo and the easiest to treat. What to ExpectYour provider may have treated your vertigo with the Epley maneuver. These are head movements that correct the inner ear problem that causes BPPV. After you go home:
Most of the time, treatment will cure BPPV. Sometimes, vertigo may return after a few weeks. About half the time, BPPV will come back later on. If this happens, you will need to be treated again. Your provider may prescribe medicines that can help relieve spinning sensations. But, these medicines often do not work well for treating the actual vertigo. Self-careIf vertigo returns, remember that you can easily lose your balance, fall, and hurt yourself. To help keep symptoms from getting worse and to help keep you safe:
To keep your symptoms from getting worse, avoid the positions that trigger it. Your provider may show you how to treat yourself at home for BPPV. A physical therapist may be able to teach you other exercises to reduce your symptoms. When to Call the DoctorYou should call your provider if:
ReferencesBaloh RW, Jen JC. Hearing and equilibrium. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 400. Bhattacharyya N, Gubbels SP, Schwartz SR, et al. Clinical practice guideline: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (update) executive summary. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(3):403-416. PMID: 28248602. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28248602/. Crane BT, Minor LB. Peripheral vestibular disorders In: Flint PW, Francis HW, Haughey BH, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 167. | ||
Review Date: 5/12/2022 Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. | ||
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