Benign Positional Vertigo

• Benign Positional Vertigo Overview
• Benign Positional Vertigo Causes
• Benign Positional Vertigo Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Benign Positional Vertigo Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Medications
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

Benign Positional Vertigo Overview

Benign positional vertigo (BPV)—or simply vertigo—is a disorder of the inner ear. You feel a sudden sensation of movement or spinning when you move your head or hold it in a certain position.

The inner ear is located within your skull and consists of the cochlea, a chamber shaped like a snail shell, where sound is transformed to nerve signals for the brain, and 3 semi-circular canals that function like a gyroscope, relaying information about head position and movement to the brain.

The semicircular canals contain fluid and special sensors that, when disturbed, inform the brain of a change in head position. It is thought that when you have BPV small particles become dislodged within the inner ear and then bounce around when your head moves, triggering faulty signals that your head is still moving even after it stops. This sensation of movement or imbalance when you are not moving is called vertigo, the primary symptom of benign positional vertigo.