The good news: it’s often treatable with specific head-position exercises, not medication.
What helps most: repositioning maneuvers
1. Epley Maneuver (most common treatment)
This is the standard method doctors use to move the crystals back into place.
It is usually done for vertigo that happens when turning in bed or looking up.
Basic idea:
You move your head in a sequence of positions so gravity shifts the crystals out of the wrong canal.
👉 Many people feel relief after 1–3 sessions.
2. Brandt–Daroff Exercises (at home training)
These are repeated movements that:
- Help the brain adapt
- Gradually reduce dizziness
- Can be done daily
3. Semont maneuver (less commonly self-done)
Another repositioning technique used in some cases.
Lifestyle tips to reduce vertigo
- Move slowly when getting out of bed
- Avoid sudden head turns
- Sleep with head slightly elevated
- Stay hydrated
- Avoid lying flat immediately after symptoms start
What NOT to do
- Don’t stay completely still for long periods (can slow recovery)
- Don’t ignore persistent or worsening vertigo
- Don’t self-treat if diagnosis is unclear
When to see a doctor urgently
Seek medical care if vertigo comes with:
- Weakness or numbness
- Severe headache
- Difficulty speaking
- Double vision
- Continuous vomiting
- Hearing loss in one ear
These may suggest a different condition than BPPV.
Important note
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is common and not dangerous, but it can feel intense. Most people improve significantly with repositioning exercises like the Epley maneuver.
Bottom line
Inner ear “crystals” causing vertigo are usually treated by head-position maneuvers that guide them back into place, especially the Epley maneuver. Medication alone usually does not fix the problem.
If you want, I can guide you step-by-step through the Epley maneuver for your specific side (left or right ear) so you can do it safely at home.
