If you're suddenly feeling dizzy or experiencing vertigo, there are several simple steps you can take right at home to find relief. These measures include lying down comfortably, avoiding sharp head movements and overly bright lights, steering clear of caffeine, and choosing light, easy-to-digest meals.
These self-care strategies are helpful for managing and preventing bouts of dizziness or vertigo, especially when caused by inner ear conditions like labyrinthitis, Ménière's disease, or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). Incorporating these tips can speed up your recovery and work alongside any treatment your doctor recommends.
However, if your dizziness or vertigo is constant or severe, it's crucial to see a healthcare professional, such as an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist or a general practitioner. They can accurately diagnose the underlying cause and recommend the most effective treatment plan tailored just for you.
11 ways to relieve dizziness or vertigo at home
Some ways to stop feeling dizzy include:
1. Sit down right away
The moment you start feeling dizzy or experience vertigo symptoms, it's best to sit down immediately and get comfortable. Avoid making any sudden, jerky movements, as these can make the dizziness worse. Dizziness significantly increases your risk of falling, so sitting or lying down helps prevent potential injuries or even bone fractures. Additionally, if you must stand, make sure you have something to grab or lean on, like a sturdy piece of furniture or a cane.
2. Lie down in a comfortable position
Lying down comfortably in a quiet, calm environment is a crucial step in alleviating dizziness. It’s often best to lie on your side. Conditions like labyrinthitis, Ménière's disease, or BPPV can sometimes trigger vomiting. Lying on your side helps prevent aspiration (breathing vomit into your lungs), which can lead to aspiration pneumonia.
3. Avoid sudden movements
Preventing sudden movements or quick changes in position is key to keeping your dizziness or vertigo from worsening. For example, when getting up from a lying position, first sit on the edge of the bed slowly. Stay seated for a few minutes to ensure the dizziness doesn't increase before you attempt to stand. When you do stand, make sure to support yourself by holding onto an object or a cane. If you change your position in bed and feel the dizziness worsen, simply return to your original position to help calm the sensation.
4. Keep your head still
During the first few days of a dizzy spell, keeping your head as still as possible can help ease the symptoms or prevent the dizziness or vertigo from intensifying. Holding your head steady can also be effective in reducing associated nausea and vomiting.
5. Avoid bright lights
To ease dizziness and labyrinthitis symptoms, try to avoid very bright lights. This includes harsh overhead lighting and the bright screens of your TV, cell phone, computer, or tablet, as they can aggravate the dizziness or vertigo. You should also avoid reading during an attack, as focusing your eyes can sometimes worsen labyrinthitis symptoms.
6. Get enough sleep
Ensuring you get adequate rest can help your body recover from dizziness or vertigo more quickly. Aiming for around 8 hours of sleep per night is generally helpful and can also work to prevent new attacks of labyrinthitis.
7. Quit smoking
If you are a smoker, quitting is highly recommended to help relieve dizziness and accelerate recovery from labyrinthitis. Smoking during a dizzy spell can also intensify nausea and vomiting. Quitting is a vital step in preventing future labyrinthitis attacks. If you are struggling to stop smoking, consult your general practitioner. They can recommend strategies or medications like bupropion or varenicline.
8. Avoid alcoholic beverages
During an episode of labyrinthitis or vertigo related to Ménière's disease, you should avoid drinking alcohol. Alcohol can exacerbate symptoms like dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. Avoiding alcoholic beverages is a simple way to help alleviate dizziness and promote a faster recovery.
9. Do not consume caffeine
To find quicker relief from dizziness, it's important to avoid foods or drinks containing caffeine. This includes coffee, black tea, green tea, colas, energy drinks like guarana, or chocolate. Caffeine is a stimulant, and consuming it during an attack of labyrinthitis or Ménière's disease can stimulate the inner ear (the labyrinth), making your dizziness worse.
10. Avoid excess salt
Limiting your sodium intake can help relieve dizziness more quickly. Excess salt can increase the pressure in your blood vessels and affect the delicate balance of the inner ear, which in turn can worsen labyrinthitis, Ménière's disease, or vertigo.
11. Eat light meals
Eating light meals, in small amounts and at shorter intervals, helps to relieve or prevent dizziness from getting worse. Opt for dry, easily digestible foods like plain crackers, lightly sautéed vegetables, lean white meats, fresh fruits, or whole-wheat bread. You should also avoid sweets, very sugary foods, fried or greasy foods, and heavily spiced or seasoned meals, as these can worsen dizziness, nausea, and vomiting symptoms.
Exercises to relieve dizziness and vertigo at home
There are excellent eye-following exercises you can do every day at home to help prevent future bouts of dizziness and vertigo. These include:
-
Head movement side-to-side: Sit down and hold an object with one hand, keeping your arm stretched out in front of your eyes. Slowly move your arm to the side, following the object with both your eyes and your head. Repeat this movement 10 times to one side, and then repeat the exercise for the other side.
-
Head movement up and down: Sit down, hold an object with one hand, and position your arm stretched out in front of your eyes. Move the object up and down 10 times, following the movement with your head.
-
Eye movement side-to-side (head still): Hold an object with one hand in front of your eyes. Move your arm to the side, but keep your head still and follow the object only with your eyes. Repeat 10 times for each side.
-
Eye movement far and near: Stretch your arm out in front of your eyes, holding an object. Fix your gaze on the object, and then slowly bring the object closer to your eyes until it is about 6 inches (1 palm's width) away. Move the object away and back toward you 10 times.
Physical therapy for dizziness or vertigo
A physical therapist can perform specific techniques designed to reposition the tiny calcium crystals within the inner ear. These crystals, when out of place, cause BPPV. Repositioning them can bring immediate relief from dizziness or vertigo attacks, stopping the feeling of discomfort within minutes.
One of the most common and effective techniques is the Epley maneuver, which involves a specific series of head and body movements:
-
The person lies flat on their back with their head extended slightly over the edge of the bed at about a 45-degree angle. They must maintain this position for 30 seconds.
-
The head is then rotated to one side, and the position is held for another 30 seconds.
-
The person then turns their entire body to the same side their head is facing and stays there for 30 seconds.
-
Next, the person sits up off the bed but keeps their head turned to the same side for 30 more seconds.
-
Finally, the person turns their head forward and remains still with their eyes open for a few more seconds.
This maneuver should not be done if you have conditions like cervical disk herniation. It is also highly recommended not to perform these movements by yourself. The head movement should be performed passively, meaning it should be done by another person or a professional.
Ideally, this treatment should be performed by a doctor or a physical therapist, as they are trained to safely perform this procedure.
When to take medication
Medication for dizziness or vertigo may be prescribed by a general practitioner, neurologist, or otolaryngologist, and the choice of drug depends on the underlying cause.
For labyrinthitis, for example, medications like meclizine may be prescribed.
For Ménière's disease, a doctor might recommend medications to reduce vertigo, such as dimenhydrinate, betahistine, or hydrochlorothiazide.
If the sole cause of your symptoms is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), medication is generally not needed.