What should you know about positional vertigo causes?

Brief spinning after rolling in bed, looking up or bending down is a common presentation of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. It happens when tiny calcium particles move into a part of the inner ear that senses head movement. Meniere's Disease can cause vertigo with ear pressure, ringing or changing hearing. A Middle Ear Infection may disturb balance, particularly when ear pain, discharge or fever is present. Migraine can cause vertigo with or without a headache, sometimes alongside light or sound sensitivity. The pattern, duration and accompanying symptoms help a clinician separate these possibilities.

Write down which head movements bring on the sensation, how long each episode lasts, and whether hearing changes, nausea or headache occur. Move slowly when getting out of bed and use support if you feel unsteady. Arrange a clinical assessment if episodes recur, interfere with walking or do not settle. A clinician may examine eye movements, hearing and balance before recommending treatment such as the Epley Manoeuvre for suitable BPPV.

Seek urgent medical help for vertigo with new weakness, facial drooping, trouble speaking, fainting, severe sudden headache, chest pain, or difficulty walking. Urgent assessment is also sensible after a head injury, or when sudden hearing loss, persistent vomiting or severe new imbalance develops.

Could my symptoms fit BPPV, migraine or an ear condition? Do I need hearing or balance tests? Is a repositioning manoeuvre appropriate, and what should I do if spinning returns?