The single most effective thing you can do for vertigo at home is a repositioning maneuver, a specific sequence of head movements that takes less than 10 minutes and resolves the most common type of vertigo in the majority of cases. Beyond that, changes to your environment, hydration, diet, and over-the-counter medication can all help manage symptoms while you recover.
Most home-treatable vertigo is caused by BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), which happens when tiny calcium crystals in your inner ear drift into the wrong canal and send false motion signals to your brain. The repositioning maneuvers below work by guiding those crystals back where they belong.
The Epley Maneuver
The Epley maneuver is the gold standard home treatment for BPPV. It takes about five to 10 minutes and involves a series of head positions that use gravity to move the displaced crystals out of the affected ear canal. You’ll need to know which ear is causing your vertigo. If you’re not sure, it’s the side that triggers spinning when you turn your head that direction while lying down.
For the right ear:
- Sit on a bed with your legs extended in front of you.
- Turn your head 45 degrees to the right.
- Quickly lie back, keeping your head turned, so your shoulders land on the pillow. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Without lifting your head, turn it 45 degrees to the left. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Roll your body onto your left side while turning your head another 45 degrees so you’re looking at the floor. Hold again.
- Slowly sit up from this side position.
For the left ear, reverse the directions. Many providers recommend doing the maneuver three times a day until your symptoms have been gone for a full 24 hours. Some people feel relief after a single session. Others need several days of repetition.
The Half-Somersault Maneuver
If the Epley feels awkward or triggers nausea, the half-somersault (also called the Foster maneuver) is a good alternative. You don’t need to lie flat on a bed, which makes it easier for people who find the Epley uncomfortable. For the right ear:
- Kneel on the floor and tilt your head back to look at the ceiling briefly.
- Bring your head down into a somersault position, tucking your chin toward your knees.
- Turn your head so you’re facing your right elbow. Hold for about 30 seconds or until any spinning stops.
- Raise your head quickly so it’s level with your back while keeping it turned toward that elbow.
- Raise your head fully upright.
Again, reverse directions for the left ear. This maneuver was developed at the University of Colorado and works on the same principle as the Epley, just from a kneeling position.
Brandt-Daroff Exercises
Brandt-Daroff exercises are a broader desensitization approach. They’re less targeted than the Epley but useful when you’re not sure which ear is affected or when repositioning maneuvers haven’t fully resolved your symptoms.
Sit on the edge of a bed. Turn your head 45 degrees toward your right shoulder, then quickly lower yourself onto your left side, bringing your legs up onto the bed. Stay there for 30 seconds, or longer if spinning continues. Return to sitting, then repeat on the opposite side. That’s one repetition. Most guidance recommends doing several repetitions at least twice a day. The exercises gradually train your brain to compensate for the faulty signals coming from your inner ear.
Hydration and Diet
Staying well hydrated plays a surprisingly direct role in vertigo management. Your inner ear relies on precise fluid balance to function. A pilot study on people with Ménière’s disease, a condition that causes recurring vertigo episodes, found that simple lifestyle changes like stress reduction and adequate water intake led to the greatest reduction in vertigo attacks compared to other interventions. The mechanism involves a stress hormone called vasopressin that regulates fluid retention. When you’re dehydrated or stressed, vasopressin levels rise, which can increase pressure in the inner ear.
Dietary choices matter too, especially if your vertigo is linked to inner ear fluid problems. Salt increases the concentration of electrolytes in your body, which can contribute to fluid buildup in the inner ear and raise the pressure inside it. Caffeine may affect inner ear fluid volume through its stimulant and diuretic effects, and alcohol is thought to worsen symptoms by constricting blood vessels that supply the inner ear. Cutting back on all three, particularly sodium, is a common recommendation for people with recurring vertigo.
Over-the-Counter Medication
Meclizine (sold as Bonine or Dramamine Less Drowsy) is available without a prescription and is commonly used for vertigo relief. The typical dose for vertigo is 25 to 100 milligrams per day, split into smaller doses throughout the day. It works by dampening the signals between your inner ear and your brain’s vomiting center, which reduces both the spinning sensation and nausea.
The most common side effects are drowsiness and dry mouth. Some people also experience blurred vision or headache. Meclizine is best used for short-term symptom control rather than as an ongoing solution, since it can actually slow your brain’s natural process of adapting to and compensating for the faulty inner ear signals. Use it to get through the worst of an episode, but pair it with repositioning exercises for a more lasting fix.
Making Your Home Safer During Episodes
Vertigo dramatically increases your fall risk, so making a few changes around your home is worth the effort. Remove throw rugs and small area rugs entirely. Put non-slip strips on tile and hardwood floors, especially in the bathroom and kitchen. Mount grab bars near the toilet and on both the inside and outside of your shower or tub. If you don’t already have them, these are inexpensive and available at any hardware store.
Lighting matters more than you might think. Place night lights in hallways and bathrooms so you’re never navigating in the dark, which is when vertigo-related falls are most dangerous. Keep a flashlight by your bed. Make sure light switches are accessible at both ends of hallways and at the top and bottom of stairs. Motion-activated plug-in lights are a simple upgrade for stairwells and pathways.
During an active episode, sit or lie down immediately when spinning starts. Avoid sudden head movements. When you need to get up, do it slowly and hold onto something stable. Keep a phone within reach at all times. Some smartwatches can detect falls and automatically call for help, which is worth considering if you live alone and have frequent episodes.
Red Flags That Need Emergency Care
Most vertigo is harmless, if miserable. But vertigo combined with certain other symptoms can signal a stroke or cardiac event. Call 911 if your vertigo comes with chest pain, heart palpitations, a sudden severe headache, difficulty walking, weakness in one arm or leg, vision changes, or a fever over 100.4°F. These combinations suggest something more serious than displaced inner ear crystals, and they require immediate evaluation.