Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

Description

A common reason for a sudden feeling of spinning or moving after certain head movements.

Overview

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, also called BPPV, most often happens after a change in head position, such as looking up or down. Most often it affects people age 50 and older. It's not often serious, but it can raise the chance of falling.

Symptoms

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo may cause a sense of spinning and dizziness. It also may cause an upset stomach, vomiting, a loss of balance or an unsteady feeling. The symptoms tend to last less than a minute, but they can come back.

Treatments

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo might go away on its own in a few weeks or months. A healthcare professional may be able to treat it sooner using a series of simple, slow head movements. This is called the canalith repositioning procedure.