Most vertigo episodes, especially the kind triggered by head movements, can be managed at home with specific repositioning maneuvers, exercises, and lifestyle changes. The most common type of vertigo, called BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), happens when tiny calcium crystals in your inner ear drift into the wrong canal and send false motion signals to your brain. Repositioning maneuvers work in about 8 out of 10 people and are the single most effective home treatment.
The Epley Maneuver: Most Effective First Step
The Epley maneuver is a series of head and body positions designed to guide those displaced crystals out of your semicircular canals and back where they belong. It takes about five minutes and works best when you know which ear is causing the problem (usually the ear on the side that triggers spinning when you roll over in bed or look up).
Here’s how to do it for the right ear:
- Sit on a bed with your legs extended. Turn your head 45 degrees to the right.
- Keeping your head turned, quickly lie back so your shoulders land on a pillow and your head reclines slightly past the edge. Wait 30 seconds.
- Turn your head 90 degrees to the left (without lifting it) and wait another 30 seconds.
- Roll your whole body onto your left side while turning your head another 90 degrees so you’re looking at the floor. Wait 30 seconds.
- Slowly sit up on the left side of the bed.
Reverse all directions if your left ear is the problem. You may need to repeat this up to three times in a session, and do it up to three times a day for several days before symptoms fully resolve. Some people feel relief after a single attempt; others need a week of consistent repetitions.
The Half Somersault (Foster Maneuver)
If lying back on a bed feels too disorienting or triggers intense nausea, the half somersault is an alternative you can do on the floor. Developed by a neurologist at the University of Colorado, it uses a kneeling position instead of lying flat, which some people find less distressing.
Start by kneeling on the floor and tipping your head back to look at the ceiling briefly. Then tuck your chin and place the top of your head on the floor, as if you’re about to do a somersault. Turn your head toward the affected ear (so your face points toward that elbow). Raise your head quickly until it’s level with your back while keeping it turned. Finally, raise your head to a fully upright position. Stay in each position for about 15 to 30 seconds, or until any spinning settles. Repeat up to three times per session.
Brandt-Daroff Exercises for Lingering Symptoms
When repositioning maneuvers reduce your vertigo but don’t eliminate it completely, Brandt-Daroff exercises can help your brain recalibrate. These are habituation exercises, meaning they work by gradually training your brain to stop overreacting to the faulty signals from your inner ear.
Sit tall on the edge of your bed. Turn your head about 45 degrees toward your right shoulder, then quickly drop onto your left side, bringing your legs up onto the bed while keeping your head turned. Stay there for 30 seconds, or longer if the spinning hasn’t stopped. Return to sitting, pause briefly, then repeat on the opposite side (head turned left, drop to the right side). That counts as one repetition. Aim for several repetitions at least twice a day. Most people see improvement within one to two weeks of consistent practice.
Dietary Changes That Help
If your vertigo is linked to inner ear fluid buildup, as in Ménière’s disease, reducing sodium makes a real difference. Excess salt causes your body to retain fluid, and that fluid imbalance can increase pressure in the inner ear, triggering vertigo attacks. The standard recommendation is to keep sodium below 1,500 to 2,000 milligrams per day, which is roughly three-quarters to one teaspoon of table salt total from all food sources.
That number is tighter than it sounds. A single restaurant meal can easily exceed 2,000 mg. The practical approach: cook more at home, read labels for sodium content, and be cautious with canned soups, deli meats, soy sauce, and most fast food. Staying well hydrated also supports stable inner ear fluid levels. Caffeine and alcohol can both worsen vertigo for some people by affecting blood flow to the inner ear or by acting as diuretics.
How You Sleep Matters
Vertigo often flares at night or first thing in the morning because lying flat allows those inner ear crystals to shift into sensitive canals. Sleeping with your head elevated, either with an extra pillow or a wedge pillow, may prevent crystals from migrating during the night. Back or side sleeping positions both work, as long as your head stays propped up at a gentle angle.
If one ear is the problem, try to avoid sleeping on that side. After performing the Epley maneuver, staying upright or semi-reclined for at least 20 minutes gives the crystals time to settle into their new position before you lie down fully.
Acupressure for Vertigo-Related Nausea
Vertigo often brings intense nausea, and a pressure point on your inner wrist called P6 can help take the edge off. To find it, hold your hand with your palm facing you and place three fingers across your wrist just below the crease where your wrist bends. The point sits right below your index finger, between the two tendons you can feel running up your forearm. Press firmly with your thumb for two to three minutes. This technique is well established for nausea relief generally, and many people with vertigo find it helpful during acute episodes when the room is spinning and they feel like they might vomit.
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo biloba extract is one of the few herbal supplements with any clinical backing for vertigo. It’s thought to improve blood circulation to the inner ear and brain. Clinical trials have used standardized leaf extracts at doses of 120 to 240 mg per day. Results are modest, and it works better as a long-term supplement than as a quick fix during an acute episode. If you take blood thinners or are scheduled for surgery, ginkgo can increase bleeding risk, so check with your pharmacist first.
Warning Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most vertigo is caused by inner ear problems and resolves with the home approaches above. But vertigo can occasionally signal something more serious, like a stroke or blood vessel problem in the brain. The key distinction is whether vertigo comes with other neurological symptoms.
Get emergency help if your vertigo is accompanied by any of the following: weakness or numbness on one side of your face or body, slurred speech, double vision or sudden vision loss, a severe new headache (especially in the back of your head or neck), or difficulty walking that goes beyond the unsteadiness of the vertigo itself. Dizziness combined with a new, intense headache is particularly concerning because it can indicate a tear in an artery supplying the brain. Isolated vertigo triggered by specific head positions, without these additional symptoms, is almost always the benign inner ear type that responds well to home treatment.