Vertigo and BPPV: the Epley, bad nights and what comes after
BPPV is the kind of vertigo that comes with a move: lying down, rolling over, looking up at a shelf. The room spins hard for less than a minute, and then you are afraid to move at all.
These guides are for the time between appointments. They cover what the Epley maneuver does and why the side matters, what to do when the spinning is gone but you still feel off, how to get through the night, and what to do when it comes back.
None of them can tell you which ear or which canal is the problem. That takes an exam. If this is your first spell, see a doctor today. Call 911 if dizziness comes with a drooping face, weakness or numbness, trouble speaking, double vision, new hearing loss, a sudden severe headache, or if you can't stand or walk.
There is also a free Epley bedside sheet for the right or left ear, with drawings for every step.
- Epley maneuver at home: right ear, left ear, and who shouldn'tHow the Epley maneuver at home works once a clinician has named your ear and canal: right and left ear steps, hold times, after-care, and who shouldn't.
- Still dizzy after Epley? What's normal and what isn'tStill dizzy after Epley treatment? Why leftover unsteadiness happens, how long it usually lasts, what helps it fade, and signs that mean something else.
- BPPV keeps coming back: what to do when the spinning returnsIf your BPPV keeps coming back, you're not alone. How often it returns, why, what to do the day it starts again, a simple log to keep, and what to ask.
- Sleeping with BPPV: lying down, getting up and nightsSleeping with BPPV: how to lie down and roll over, the best sleeping position, getting up without a fall, safer bathroom trips at night, and when to call.
