Positional vertigo what is it

Skip to main content. Ear nose and throat. Home Ear nose and throat. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo BPPV. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo BPPV usually causes intense, brief episodes of dizziness or vertigo associated with moving the head, often when rolling over in bed or getting up in the morning. Some people may also feel nauseous between episodes of vertigo.

BPPV occurs when tiny crystals break loose and fall into the wrong part of the vestibular system in the inner ear, stimulating the nerves that detect head rotation.

The brain receives the message that the head is spinning, although the head has only moved position slightly. BPPV is the most common cause of vertigo.

Vertigo is described as feeling like you are turning around when you are standing still. The experience is similar to how you feel when spinning on a playground roundabout. Vertigo has also been described as the sensation of standing still within a spinning room. BPPV tends to come and go for no apparent reason. You may have attacks of vertigo for a few weeks, then a period of time with no symptoms at all. Usually, BPPV affects only one ear. Other names for BPPV include benign postural vertigo, positional vertigo and top-shelf vertigo because you get dizzy looking up.

Getting out of bed or rolling over in bed are movements that often trigger dizziness, vertigo, light-headedness, imbalance or nausea. When there is a known cause, BPPV is often associated with a minor to severe blow to your head.

Less common causes of BPPV include disorders that damage your inner ear or, rarely, damage that occurs during ear surgery or long periods positioned on your back, such as in a dentist chair. BPPV also has been associated with migraines. Inside your ear is a tiny organ called the vestibular labyrinth. It includes three loop-shaped structures semicircular canals that contain fluid and fine, hairlike sensors that monitor your head's rotation.

Other structures otolith organs in your ear monitor your head's movements — up and down, right and left, back and forth — and your head's position related to gravity. These otolith organs contain crystals that make you sensitive to gravity. For many reasons, these crystals can become dislodged. When they become dislodged, they can move into one of the semicircular canals — especially while you're lying down.

This causes the semicircular canal to become sensitive to head position changes it would normally not respond to, which is what makes you feel dizzy.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo occurs most often in people age 50 and older, but can occur at any age. BPPV is also more common in women than in men. A head injury or any other disorder of the balance organs of your ear may make you more susceptible to BPPV. Although BPPV is uncomfortable, it rarely causes complications.

The dizziness of BPPV can make you unsteady, which may put you at greater risk of falling. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Find out which oils may work and how to use…. Vertigo is dizziness that is often described as a spinning sensation.

It may also feel like motion sickness or as if you're leaning to one side. Labyrinthitis is an inner ear disorder in which a nerve that detects head movement becomes inflamed.

Dizziness is the feeling of being lightheaded, woozy, or unbalanced. It can come about as a symptom of a number of conditions. Most underlying causes…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Seunggu Han, M. What causes benign positional vertigo? Who is at risk for benign positional vertigo? What are the symptoms of benign positional vertigo? How is benign positional vertigo diagnosed? What are the treatments for benign positional vertigo?

What are the complications of benign positional vertigo? What is the long-term outlook for people with benign positional vertigo? Read this next. Medically reviewed by Graham Rogers, M. Treatments for Dizziness. Medically reviewed by Nancy Hammond, M. What Causes Dizziness and Fatigue? Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.