Most vertigo episodes can be managed at home with specific head maneuvers, simple exercises, and a few environmental changes. The most common type of vertigo, called BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), responds to repositioning maneuvers that work in up to 93% of cases. What you should do depends on what’s causing your vertigo and how severe your symptoms are.
Know Which Type of Vertigo You’re Dealing With
BPPV causes short bursts of spinning, usually lasting less than a minute, triggered by changes in head position like rolling over in bed, looking up, or bending down. It happens when tiny calcium crystals in your inner ear drift into the wrong canal and send false motion signals to your brain. This is the type most responsive to home treatment.
Other causes of vertigo include inner ear infections (vestibular neuritis), Meniere’s disease (which also involves hearing changes and ear fullness), and, rarely, something more serious. If your vertigo came on suddenly and you also have a severe headache, trouble speaking, facial weakness, double vision, or numbness on one side of your body, that pattern can signal a stroke and needs emergency care immediately.
The Epley Maneuver for BPPV
The Epley maneuver is the most effective home treatment for the common posterior canal form of BPPV. It works by guiding the displaced crystals back to where they belong through a series of head positions. Studies show a success rate around 93% within two weeks, sometimes after just one or two sessions.
Here’s how to do it for the right ear (reverse left and right if your left ear is affected):
- Step 1: Sit on your bed with a pillow behind you, positioned so it will be under your shoulders when you lie back. Turn your head 45 degrees to the right.
- Step 2: Quickly lie back, keeping your head turned. Your shoulders should rest on the pillow, and your head should recline and touch the bed. Wait 30 seconds.
- Step 3: Turn your head 90 degrees to the left without raising it. Your head will now be looking 45 degrees to the left. Wait 30 seconds.
- Step 4: Roll your body onto your left side while turning your head another 90 degrees so you’re looking at the floor. Wait 30 seconds.
- Step 5: Slowly sit up on the left side.
You will likely feel intense spinning during the maneuver, especially in the first position. That’s actually a sign you’re doing it correctly. Repeat up to three times per session if needed, and try it once or twice daily until your symptoms resolve.
The Half-Somersault: An Easier Alternative
The Epley maneuver can be hard to do alone because it triggers strong dizziness and requires precise positioning. The half-somersault maneuver, developed by Dr. Carol Foster at the University of Colorado, is designed to be easier to self-apply without an assistant. In patient studies, people reported less dizziness and fewer complications with this approach compared to the self-applied Epley.
For the right ear:
- Step 1: Kneel on the floor and tilt your head back to look at the ceiling briefly.
- Step 2: Place your head on the floor in front of you, tucking your chin as if starting a somersault.
- Step 3: Turn your head to face your right elbow. Wait for any dizziness to stop.
- Step 4: Raise your head quickly to back level, keeping it turned toward your right elbow. Wait again.
- Step 5: Raise your head fully upright and slowly sit back.
Wait 15 minutes between attempts. If you’re unsure which ear is affected, it’s typically the one on the side that triggers the worst spinning when you roll toward it in bed.
Gaze Stabilization Exercises
If your vertigo stems from an inner ear problem other than BPPV, or if you have lingering imbalance after BPPV resolves, gaze stabilization exercises help your brain recalibrate how it processes balance signals. These are the foundation of vestibular rehabilitation therapy, and you can do a basic version at home.
The simplest is the “shake and stare” exercise: hold one finger pointing upward at arm’s length. Turn your head side to side while keeping your eyes locked on your fingertip. Do 10 complete turns, rest for 10 seconds, then repeat. For the vertical version (“nod and stare”), hold your finger pointing sideways and nod your head up and down while keeping your eyes fixed. Start slowly and increase speed as you improve.
These exercises are meant to feel slightly uncomfortable. If they provoke mild dizziness that fades within a few minutes, you’re working at the right intensity. Do them two to three times daily. Over days and weeks, your brain adapts and the dizziness during normal movements decreases.
Dietary Changes That Help
If your vertigo is related to Meniere’s disease, reducing sodium intake is one of the most effective things you can do at home. Excess sodium increases fluid pressure in the inner ear, which triggers vertigo attacks. The standard recommendation is to keep daily sodium under 2 grams (about 2,000 milligrams), which is noticeably lower than the average intake of 3,400 mg in most Western diets. Even reducing to under 3 grams per day can have a meaningful effect.
This means reading labels carefully, cooking more at home, and being cautious with restaurant food, canned soups, processed meats, and condiments. It takes a few weeks to notice improvement, and the benefit is cumulative.
Vitamin D levels also matter, particularly for BPPV. A large meta-analysis found that people with recurring BPPV had significantly lower vitamin D levels than those who didn’t get repeat episodes. More importantly, those who took vitamin D supplements had a 55% lower recurrence rate compared to those who didn’t. If you’ve had BPPV more than once, checking your vitamin D level and supplementing if it’s low is a reasonable step.
During an Episode: Immediate Relief
When vertigo hits, sit or lie down immediately. If you’re in bed, keep your eyes open and fix your gaze on a stationary object. This gives your brain a visual anchor that partially overrides the false spinning signal from your inner ear.
Move your head slowly and deliberately. Quick head movements make everything worse. If you need to get up, rise in stages: sit for a moment, then stand while holding onto something stable. Avoid looking at screens during intense episodes, as the visual motion can amplify nausea.
Ginger has a long reputation for motion-related nausea, and while clinical evidence specifically for vertigo is limited, doses of 250 mg to 1 gram of powdered ginger root can help settle your stomach during an episode. Ginger tea or ginger chews are easy alternatives.
Making Your Home Safer
Falls are the biggest practical risk of recurring vertigo. A few targeted modifications reduce that risk significantly. Remove throw rugs, stacked newspapers, and anything else you could trip over, especially along paths you walk at night. Install grab bars near the toilet, in the shower, and beside your bed if you’re having frequent episodes. A shower chair eliminates the risk of falling on wet tile when a dizzy spell hits mid-shower.
Lighting matters more than most people realize. Switch to bulbs that reach full brightness immediately when turned on, and add nightlights along hallways and in bathrooms. Many falls happen during nighttime trips to the bathroom in dim light. If you cook regularly, a rolling cart helps you move items between counter and table without carrying things while unsteady. Outside, clear a level path through your yard or consider adding a concrete or brick walkway to replace uneven ground.
These changes are especially important in the first few days of a new vertigo episode, when your brain hasn’t yet adapted to the disrupted balance signals and your fall risk is highest.