ear, nose, and throat disorders
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Symptoms of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
The symptoms of BPPV are Short episodes of vertigo, in which people feel as if they or their surroundings are moving or spinning Nausea and/or vomiting BPPV can be frightening and uncomfortable, but it is usually harmless and disappears by itself or with simple maneuvers. Vertigo is triggered when the person’s head moves, such as when rolling over in bed or bending over to pick up something. Each episode of vertigo lasts only a few seconds to minutes. People may have many episodes over the course of a few days to weeks after which episodes gradually subside on their own. Vertigo may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and a specific type of eye movement in which the eyes rapidly jerk in one direction alternating with a slower drift back to their original position (called nystagmus). No hearing loss or noise in the ears (tinnitus) occurs. Although the symptoms are not dangerous, they may lead to falls or other accidents if an episode occurs while a person is in a possibly unsafe situation such as driving a car. 