Home Remedies for Positional Vertigo

Also known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, positional vertigo can cause temporary dizziness and nausea, as if the room is spinning. While a patient can take medication to reduce symptoms, there are also at-home exercises and remedies to improve symptoms and teach the vertigo sufferer how to compensate for dizziness symptoms.

Brandt-Daroff Exercises

• The first step to treating vertigo at home is to utilize repositioning exercises that help to create balance in the ear. Among these are the Brandt-Daroff exercises, which should be performed three times a day for two weeks at a time. If your symptoms return, repeat the exercises. Because these exercises involve lying down, you may wish to complete them on a bed or couch.

  Begin by sitting upright, which may cause you to feel dizzy. Then lie down on your left side and tilt your head upward, as if you are looking at someone standing over you; this should not be an uncomfortable position, just a slight angle. Hold your head in this position for at least 30 seconds. Then resume your sitting position for 30 seconds. Finally, lie on your right side in the same position, holding your head at at angle for at least 30 seconds.

Epley Maneuver

• Another treatment option for people with positional vertigo is the Epley maneuver, which requires another person to position and support your head. Because vertigo can be caused by fluid and calcium crystals built up in the inner ear, these maneuvers aim to reposition the area where they appear.

  The afflicted person should lie down on a bed or table where his head can dangle off the table. The assistant should "catch" and support the head from the table's end. Next, the person should turn the head toward the affected ear (one that causes the most trouble or dizziness to one side). Then the head should be turned rapidly to the opposite side, but not all the way to that side. Next, the head is turned slightly farther, so that the head is parallel to the floor and the shoulder is facing upward. If necessary, the person may turn the head even farther toward the floor. Finally, the person with vertigo should sit upright and hold his head at least somewhat upright for the next 24 hours.

Avoid Food Triggers

• In addition to exercises to prevent dizzy spells, avoid certain food triggers known to enhance or cause dizziness. These can include alcohol, coffee, chocolate and other foods that contain large amounts of sugar or salt. These foods can cause dehydration in the body, and the reduction of fluid can increase dizziness.

  In addition to avoiding those foods and drinks, be sure to drink plenty of water, which can boost fluid in the body and in the ears, reducing positional vertigo symptoms.