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VertiGONE! Here’s six ways to help prevent vertigo attacks

For many people who suffer from vertigo, attacks come back every now and then1,2 – sometimes when least expected. Even when treatment is well-tolerated and effective, many people still develop further attacks.3,4

Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the risk and prevent vertigo from coming back so often. Here’s six ways to help prevent those attacks from happening.

  1. Stick to your treatment plan. Rebalancing your vestibular system is the key to managing and preventing vertigo. Treatments can include physical therapy, medication, psychotherapy, or in a few cases, surgery.3,4 Sticking to prescribed treatments can help prevent symptoms from returning.5 Try to stick to your treatment plan as described by your doctor.5 (Read also “Why is adherence to treatment important in vertigo”.)
  2. Exercise. There are certain exercises you can do – including head and eye movements and walking exercises6,7 – which are referred to as ‘vestibular rehabilitation’. (See here some simple exercises you can do.) Exercises can help to retrain your brain to adapt to the sensations that trigger vertigo.1,6 They can also improve your balance and reduce the frequency and severity of vertigo attacks.6-8 Your doctor can be a great source of advice for exercises that can best work for you.6
  3. Stay on top of other health conditions. If you have another health condition, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, the risk of vertigo happening again is higher (Read also “What factors can trigger vertigo”).9-11 If your other condition is well managed, as well as the obvious health benefits, it will likely have benefits for preventing vertigo too.11
  4. Try mindfulness and relaxation techniques. In some cases, feeling stressed, anxious or tense can trigger vertigo.12-14 If you are suffering from anxiety, speak to your doctor about this – managing it could bring multiple health benefits (Read also “How to manage a vertigo attack”). Prioritize getting good sleep – the more well rested you are the better you will feel overall, and it can help to reduce some types of vertigo and dizziness.15
  5. Keep fit and healthy and avoid stimulants. In general, keeping fit and healthy helps with your overall health and vertigo prevention.16 Dietary changes such as reduction or restriction in salt, caffeine and alcohol may be beneficial too (Read also “Healthy eating as a preventive measure for managing vertigo”).16 Try different changes to your lifestyle to see if something makes a difference for you.
  6. Avoid activities that trigger your vertigo. Everyone has a unique set of triggers of their vertigo. For some, triggers can include turning in bed, dehydration or being stressed or anxious (Read also “What factors can trigger vertigo”).12-16 Paying attention to what triggers your vertigo can help you organize your day to reduce the risk of a vertigo attack. 

By taking care of your vertigo with these recommendations, you can reduce the frequency and severity of your vertigo attacks, and improve your overall well-being.

References

  1. NHS Inform. Vertigo.October 23, 2023. Accessed February 26, 2024. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/ears-nose-and-throat/vertigo/
  2. Furman JM. UpToDate. Patient education: Vertigo (Beyond the Basics). December 14, 2023. Accessed February 26, 2024. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/vertigo-beyond-the-basics 
  3. Stanton M, Freeman AM. Vertigo. [Updated 2023 Mar 13]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482356/ 
  4. Penn Medicine (University of Pennsylvania). What is Benign Positional Vertigo? Last reviewed July 26, 2021. Accessed February 26, 2024. https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/benign-positional-vertigo 
  5. Abbott. Acare. Why is adherence to treatment important in vertigo? Accessed February 26, 2024. https://acare.abbott.com/en/why-is-adherence-to-treatment-important-in-vertigo/
  6. Brain and spine Foundation. Vestibular rehabilitation exercises for people with dizziness and balance problems. Accessed February 26, 2024. https://www.brainandspine.org.uk/health-information/fact-sheets/vestibular-rehabilitation-exercises/ 
  7. Kundakci B, Sultana A, Taylor AJ, Alshehri MA. The effectiveness of exercise-based vestibular rehabilitation in adult patients with chronic dizziness: A systematic review. F1000Res. 2018;7:276. Published 2018 Mar 5. doi:10.12688/f1000research.14089.1
  8. Hoseinabadi R, Pourbakht A, Yazdani N, et al. The Effects of the Vestibular Rehabilitation on the Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Recurrence Rate in Patients with Otolith Dysfunction. J Audiol Otol. 2018;22(4):204-208. doi:10.7874/jao.2018.00087
  9. Sfakianaki I, Binos P, Karkos P, Dimas GG, Psillas G. Risk Factors for Recurrence of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. A Clinical Review. J Clin Med. 2021;10(19):4372. doi:10.3390/jcm10194372
  10. Musleh A, Alshehri S, Qobty A. Hyperlipidemia and its relation with tinnitus: Cross-sectional approach. Niger J Clin Pract. 2022;25(7):1046-1049. doi:10.4103/njcp.njcp_1465_21
  11. Sreenivas V, Sima NH, Philip S. The Role of Comorbidities in Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. Ear Nose Throat J. 2021;100(5):NP225-NP230. doi:10.1177/0145561319878546
  12. Chen ZJ, Chang CH, Hu LY, et al. Increased risk of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in patients with anxiety disorders: a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study. BMC Psychiatry. 2016;16:238. Published 2016 Jul 15. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0950-2
  13. Feng S, Zang J. The effect of accompanying anxiety and depression on patients with different vestibular syndromes. Front Aging Neurosci. 2023;15:1208392. Published 2023 Aug 1. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2023.1208392
  14. Cornforth E, Schramm K. Physical therapist’s beliefs, practice patterns and barriers to the incorporation of mindfulness meditation into management of individuals with chronic dizziness. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021;43:101387. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101387
  15. Kim SK, Kim JH, Jeon SS, Hong SM. Relationship between sleep quality and dizziness. PLoS One. 2018;13(3):e0192705. Published 2018 Mar 7. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0192705
  16. Gunes-Bayir A, Tandogan Z, Gedik-Toker Ö, Yabaci-Tak A, Dadak A. A Comparison Study of Nutritional Assessment, Diet and Physical Activity Habits, Lifestyle and Socio-Demographic Characteristics in Individuals with and without Dizziness/Vertigo. Nutrients. 2023;15(18):4055. Published 2023 Sep 19. doi:10.3390/nu15184055
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