How long does it take for dizziness to go away

Numerous treatments are available to help the dizzy and spinning sensations that people with vertigo experience. Sometimes vertigo goes away without any treatment.

Options range from medication to specific exercises to surgery.

Your healthcare provider can help you determine which therapies are likely to help your symptoms based on your diagnosis.

Physical Therapy to Improve Balance and Inner Ear Issues

Vestibular rehabilitation is a type of physical therapy that can benefit people with inner ear or balance problems. It helps your brain learn ways to use other senses (such as vision) to compensate for vertigo.

The exercises are typically customized to meet a person’s individual needs. They may include eye and head movements, balance training, or other maneuvers, depending on what’s causing your symptoms.

Vestibular rehabilitation is usually performed on an outpatient basis, but it can also be done in a hospital or home setting. (1)

Canalith Repositioning, Also Known as the Epley Maneuver

Canalith repositioning, also known as the Epley maneuver, is a technique that involves a series of special head and body movements.

The purpose is to move crystals from the fluid-filled semicircular canals of your inner ear to a different area, so they can be absorbed by the body.

Canalith repositioning involves the following steps:

1. You sit on an exam table with your eyes open and your head turned 45 degrees to the right.
2. You lie on your back quickly with your head hanging off the end of the table.
3. Your doctor turns your head 90 degrees to the left, and you hold this position for about 30 seconds.
4. Your physician turns your head another 90 degrees to the left while you rotate your body in the same direction. This position is held for another 30 seconds.
5. You sit up on the left side of the exam table.
6. The procedure can be repeated on both sides until you feel relief.

You’ll probably have symptoms of vertigo during your treatment. You might need to remain upright for 24 hours following your procedure to prevent crystals from returning to the semicircular canals.

A doctor or physical therapist typically performs canalith repositioning, but you may be shown how to do modified exercises at home.

Canalith repositioning is very effective for people with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) — the most common cause of vertigo. Results vary, but research shows an approximate success rate of 70 percent on the first attempt and nearly 100 percent on successive attempts. (2)

If the crystals move back into your semicircular canals, your doctor can repeat the treatment.

You should tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following before having this therapy:

• A neck problem
• A back condition
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• A detached retina in your eye
• Blood vessel or heart problems (3,4)

Medication That Targets the Cause of Your Symptoms

Various medicines are used to help improve symptoms of vertigo. Drugs are typically more effective at treating vertigo that lasts a few hours to several days.

People with Ménière’s disease may benefit from taking diuretics, medicines that help your body get rid of salt, water, and the need to restrict salt in your diet.

If your vertigo is caused by an infection, antibiotics or steroids may be given.

Sometimes doctors recommend antihistamines, such as meclizine (Antivert), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), or dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) to help with vertigo episodes. Anticholinergics, such as the Transderm Scop patch, may also help with dizziness.

Anti-anxiety meds like diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and alprazolam (Xanax) may help relieve vertigo in some people, especially if symptoms are triggered by an anxiety disorder. (2,4)

If your vertigo is caused by a stroke, you may need drugs, such as aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), aspirin and dipyridamole (Aggrenox), or warfarin (Coumadin) to prevent a future event, according to research.

Certain medications to treat migraines may also help with vertigo symptoms in some people. (4) These might include various medicines from different drug classes, such as antidepressants, beta-blockers, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), benzodiazepines, antiemetics, or calcium channel blockers.

Several other medicines are used to help with symptoms of vertigo. Check with your doctor to see which drugs might be appropriate for your particular condition.

Surgery: an Uncommon Treatment for Special Cases

Surgery isn’t a common treatment for vertigo, but it’s sometimes needed.

You might require a surgical procedure if your symptoms are caused by an underlying condition, such as a tumor or an injury to your brain or neck.

In rare circumstances, doctors may suggest canal plugging surgery for people with BPPV when other treatments fail. With this procedure, a bone plug is used to block an area of your inner ear and prevent the semicircular canals from responding to particle movements. The success rate is around 90 percent. (3)

Another surgery, called labyrinthectomy, disables the vestibular labyrinth in your bad ear and allows the other ear to control balance. This procedure is rarely done but may be recommended if you have significant hearing loss or vertigo that hasn’t responded to other therapies.

Rarely, people with Meniere’s disease may also require surgery, such as a shunt surgery, to help symptoms.

A procedure to plug a leak in the inner ear is sometimes used for individuals with perilymph fistula.

Other surgical procedures may be necessary, depending on what’s causing your vertigo episodes.

Injections: When Other Treatments Haven’t Worked

In cases in which patients have not responded to other treatments, injections are sometimes used to help people with vertigo symptoms. The antibiotic gentamicin (Garamycin) can be injected into your inner ear to disable balance. This allows the unaffected ear to perform balance functions.

Psychotherapy Can Help Alleviate the Stress of Symptoms

Some people with vertigo may benefit from psychotherapy, even if their symptoms aren’t caused by a psychiatric disorder. (5)

Psychotherapy, also known as “talk therapy,” helps you identify negative behaviors and replace them with positive solutions. There are several different types of psychotherapy.

You May Need to Be Treated for an Underlying Problem

Your doctor might recommend other treatments for your vertigo, depending on the underlying problem that’s causing your symptoms.

For instance, people with conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, and anemia may develop vertigo. You might need specific treatments to target these diseases.

Related: The Most Surprising Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

Sometimes Vertigo Goes Away All on Its Own

Your vertigo may go away on its own, with no specific treatment. For instance, people with BPPV often notice that their symptoms disappear within a few weeks or months. (3)

Your doctor can help you figure out if treatment is necessary for your condition.

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Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

1. Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT). VeDa: Vestibular Disorders Association.
2. Muncie HL, Sirmans SM, James E. Dizziness: Approach to Evaluation and Management. American Family Physician. February 1, 2017.
3. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): Diagnosis and Treatment. Mayo Clinic. August 5, 2022.
4. Dizziness: Diagnosis and Treatment. Mayo Clinic. October 15, 2020.
5. Schmid G, Henningsen P, Dieterich M, et al. Psychotherapy in Dizziness: A Systematic Review. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. February 4, 2011.

Additional Sources

• Swartz, R, Longwell, P. Treatment of Vertigo. American Family Physician. March 15, 2005.
• Labyrinthitis and Vestibular Neuritis. VeDa: Vestibular Disorders Association.
• How to Perform the Epley Maneuver at Home for BPPV. AquacarePT. 2016.

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