Benign positional vertigo - aftercare

Your provider may have treated your vertigo with the Epley maneuver. These are head movements that very often 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.

If 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.

You should contact your provider if:

Baloh RW, Jen JC. Hearing and equilibrium. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 396.

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: 4/18/2024
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical 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.
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