How Long Does Vertigo Last? Duration, Recovery & When to Seek Care

Vertigo can last seconds, minutes, hours, or even days, depending on the cause. Most short episodes come from inner ear problems, while longer spells sometimes point to infections, migraines, or fluid buildup in the ear.

Doctors state that vertigo is a symptom, not a disease. The length of your spell depends on what is wrong in your balance system, not on one fixed clock.

Vertigo Duration: What Controls How Long It Lasts

The balance system includes your inner ears, eyes, brain, and neck muscles. Any part can affect vertigo duration and change how long symptoms stay.

Specialist groups fall into two broad types. Peripheral vertigo comes from the inner ear or balance nerve. Central vertigo comes from the brain. Peripheral causes, like BPPV or Ménière’s disease, often create shorter, repeated attacks. Central causes sometimes create longer or more constant dizziness.

Typical Episode Length In Common Vertigo Types

BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) causes brief spins that last seconds to under one minute when you roll in bed or tilt your head. NIH review confirms that these spins are usually short and triggered by position.

Ménière’s disease causes stronger attacks. NIH describes episodes that last from 20 minutes to 12 hours, sometimes up to 24 hours, and they often come with ear fullness, ringing, and hearing changes.

Vestibular neuritis, which is an inflammation of the balance nerve, often brings one severe spell that lasts several days. Studies in StatPearls and other reviews report that the worst symptoms improve in a few days, but mild symptoms can stay for weeks or months.

Factors That Prolong Vertigo Symptoms

The main disease is not the only factor that controls vertigo duration . Other things can stretch symptoms:

You may avoid moving because you fear another spell. That slows the way your brain adapts to the new signals from the inner ear. Researchers call this process vestibular compensation.

Ongoing infections, fluid in the ear, or uncontrolled blood pressure can keep the balance system irritated. Ménière’s disease, for example, links to fluid pressure swings inside the ear, which can repeat attacks.

Stress and anxiety do not cause all vertigo, but they can make your brain focus on every small sway. That focus makes you feel vertigo last much longer than the core episode.

How Long Dizziness Lasts After A Vertigo Attack

You might feel confused when the spin stops but the fog stays. Many people say, “The room is not spinning, but I still feel strange when I move.”

Cleveland Clinic and vestibular experts explain that after an acute event like neuritis, the brain needs time to relearn how to balance. The strong spin may last days, but milder dizziness and motion sensitivity can stay for weeks to several months.

Health sites like WebMD and Healthline also note that a single vertigo attack may be short, while the “off-balance” feeling that follows may stretch into daily life. This is common and usually improves with movement and, in some cases, therapy.

When Residual Imbalance Is Normal

Not every bit of lingering unsteadiness means a new disease. After neuritis, labyrinthitis, or strong Ménière’s attacks, studies show that some residual imbalance is part of natural recovery.

Doctors expect some symptoms to fade step by step. You may first notice that lying still feels normal again. Then slow walking feels better. Later, busy places and quick head turns improve. This pattern matches how your brain rebuilds balance pathways.

Yet you should not ignore warning signs. If you see no progress at all over several weeks, or if your walking suddenly worsens, you need a fresh medical review to rule out stroke, heart issues, or other central causes.

How Long Does BPPV Vertigo Last?

Many patients experience BPPV first when they wake up, turn over, and feel the room spin. They sit up, and notice that the spin stops in less than a minute but returns with the next move.

Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and NIH resources agree that with BPPV, each episode is short, often 1 to 2 minutes or less. That timing helps doctors tell BPPV apart from other causes.

Duration Of BPPV Episodes

You may feel several short bursts. Each burst comes when the head rolls, bends, or tips back. Between bursts, they may feel almost normal or only slightly off.

Research notes that BPPV spells often last more than 30 seconds but under a few minutes. In contrast, Ménière’s episodes and neuritis spells are far longer. Doctors also point out that BPPV itself can last weeks or months if you do not treat it. The disease can calm down on its own, but that process is slow.

Why BPPV Symptoms Recur

BPPV happens when tiny calcium crystals inside the inner ear move into the wrong canal. Doctors call these crystals otoconia. Any event that shakes or stresses the inner ear can move them again. Age changes, minor head injuries, or long bed rest can all increase the risk of repeat spells.

Experts from vestibular clinics explain that this “repeat” pattern does not mean brain damage. It means the same mechanical problem returns.

When Repositioning Maneuvers Give Relief

For BPPV, the main treatment is a set of head and body moves known as canalith repositioning maneuvers. The Epley maneuver is the best known. It guides the loose crystals back into a safe area of the inner ear where they no longer trigger spins.

Clinical studies show that many people feel a strong drop in symptoms after one or two sessions. Some still feel light imbalance for days while the brain catches up, yet vertigo lasts shifts from “weeks” to “minutes”.

Doctors warn that you should not try random home moves from video sites without proper teaching. Incorrect steps can make the vertigo duration worse or miss other serious causes. Dosage of any medicine used with these maneuvers varies by age and condition, so only a doctor should decide on medication support.

How Long Do Vertigo Attacks Last?

When you ask how long vertigo lasts, doctors first think about the type of attack. Some vertigo spells are brief shocks. Others keep you in bed for hours. A few conditions can cause dizziness that lingers for days.

Healthline and major clinics note that episodes can last seconds, minutes, hours, or several days. Most common inner ear causes sit somewhere in that range, not beyond it.

Sudden Episodes From Vestibular Causes

Short, sudden vertigo episodes often point to inner ear problems. BPPV spells are a clear example. Cleveland Clinic explains that a typical BPPV episode lasts 1 to 2 minutes and comes with head movement.

In this case, how long vertigo lasts depends on your position. You might be fine while sitting still. Then the room spins when you roll over in bed or look up.

Vestibular neuritis is different. StatPearls and other reviews describe a strong, constant attack that lasts several days. It then slowly fades over weeks or months as your brain adjusts.

How Long Attacks Last In Ménière’s Disease

Ménière’s disease brings a special pattern. The U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders states that attacks usually last 20 minutes to 12 hours. Mayo Clinic and StatPearls give similar ranges, with some patients reaching up to 24 hours.

During this time you may notice spinning, ear fullness, roaring sounds, and hearing change. For many people, the next day brings heavy fatigue and mild imbalance.

Doctors still study why Ménière’s attacks vary so much. Some research links them to fluid pressure changes in the inner ear, but the exact trigger path is not fully clear, so evidence remains limited.

Vertigo After Head Injury Or Migraine

After a concussion or head trauma, vertigo and dizziness can last for weeks. Some of this comes from inner ear damage. Some comes from brain injury and neck strain. Research shows that a share of these patients develop persistent dizziness problems if they do not get support.

Vestibular migraine is another cause. Attacks can last from minutes to many hours. Tests may not find clear ear damage, but the brain handles balance signals in a sensitive way.

In both concussion and migraine, early rehab, sleep care, and trigger control can shorten vertigo duration , although results differ by person.

Vertigo Recovery Time: What To Expect

Recovery Timelines For Mild Vs Severe Vertigo

For mild BPPV that responds to treatment, many people feel much better in a few days. Mayo Clinic and StatPearls note that BPPV can also clear on its own over weeks or months, even without maneuvers.

With vestibular neuritis, StatPearls reports that the intense phase lasts several days and that full relief of all symptoms can take weeks to months.

So vertigo recovery time may be very short for simple BPPV, yet much longer when a nerve or brain center needs to heal and adapt.

Why Recovery May Take Days To Weeks

Your balance network acts like a team. The eyes, inner ears, joints, and brain must work together. When one partner is hurt, the others must adapt. Research on vestibular compensation shows that the brain slowly recalibrates signals to match the new state of the inner ear.

Strong attacks may end in days, but the training phase for the brain can stretch for weeks. If you stay in bed for too long, the brain does not get enough movement signals to adjust. That can extend how long dizziness lasts and may create fear of walking.

Most experts now advise gentle movement as soon as it is safe, rather than strict bed rest, although you must follow your own doctor’s advice.

When Physical Therapy Speeds Recovery

Vestibular rehabilitation therapy is a structured set of eye, head, and balance exercises. Cleveland Clinic and several large reviews show that this therapy reduces dizziness and improves balance in people with chronic vertigo.

Early, custom programs also seem to help people with unilateral ear loss recover faster, although study designs differ and some details still need stronger proof.

For you, this means that vertigo recovery time can often be shorter if you do targeted exercises rather than only waiting for symptoms to fade.

Treatments That Shorten Vertigo Duration

No single method works for every cause. Yet several tools can reduce how long you feel unwell or how long your attacks last.

Medications Used For Symptom Control

Doctors may prescribe short courses of medicines to reduce nausea, motion sickness, or inflammation. These can make a bad spell easier to handle and may keep you out of the hospital. Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic stress that such drugs treat symptoms, not the root problem, and that long use can slow brain adaptation.

Dosage varies by age, weight, and health status. Only your doctor should decide how much and how often.

Home Strategies That Reduce Episode Length

Simple steps at home can sometimes shorten attacks or at least reduce their effect. Sitting or lying as soon as a spin begins lowers your fall risk. Drinking water helps if mild dehydration plays a role. Regular meals help keep blood sugar steady, which may reduce lightheaded spells.

Some people learn that quick, repeated head moves make a vertigo attack seem worse. Slowing your movements during a flare can ease this, while still staying as active as your doctor allows.

BPPV Repositioning Techniques

For BPPV, canalith repositioning maneuvers are the key treatment. Mayo Clinic and large reviews show that the Epley maneuver and similar methods move crystals back into a better spot in the inner ear.

With correct technique, many patients see a fast change in vertigo duration during head movements. Instead of months of repeated spins, they reach a point where head turns feel normal again. Some people still need repeat maneuvers if symptoms return later.

Lifestyle Habits That Improve Long-Term Outcomes

Healthy habits cannot fix every case, but they can support your recovery. For Ménière’s disease, many centers advise a low salt diet and fluid control to reduce inner ear pressure swings, although the quality of evidence varies and some details remain open for study.

Regular walking trains your balance system. Good sleep, stress control, and limiting heavy alcohol also help your brain process balance signals.

When Dizziness After Vertigo Is A Warning Sign

Not all dizziness after an attack is safe to ignore. Sometimes it signals a brain or heart problem that needs urgent care.

Symptoms That Require Medical Evaluation

Emergency signs include sudden trouble speaking, weakness on one side, face droop, double vision, or a severe new headache with vertigo. Stroke guidelines treat these as red flags.

In that situation, you need immediate emergency care. Long-standing diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, or heart disease raise this risk.

You should also see a doctor soon if vertigo follows a head injury, includes new hearing loss, or keeps getting worse instead of better over several days.

How Doctors Diagnose Lingering Vertigo

Doctors look at how you describe your symptoms. They listen to how long vertigo last , what triggers it, and what else you feel. They perform balance and eye exams. In some cases, they order hearing tests, MRI scans, or blood tests.

They compare your story with known patterns from BPPV, vestibular neuritis, Ménière’s disease, migraine, or central causes. This careful match, plus test results, guides the treatment plan and sets realistic expectations for vertigo recovery time .

FAQs

Why Do Vertigo Episodes Last Longer Sometimes?

Vertigo episodes can last longer when you are tired, stressed, dehydrated, or fighting another illness. Inner ear fluid shifts and brain sensitivity also change, so how long vertigo lasts is not always the same.

Can Vertigo Last For Days?

Yes, vertigo from vestibular neuritis, labyrinthitis, or migraine can last several days. You may then feel unsteady for weeks. In these cases, how long vertigo lasts depends on nerve healing and brain adaptation.

Can Anxiety Make Vertigo Last Longer?

Anxiety can make you focus on every small sway. That focus keeps your brain in alarm mode and may stretch how long dizziness lasts after an attack. Therapy, breathing work, and movement often help.

Why Do I Feel Off-Balance Even After Vertigo Stops?

After a strong attack, your brain still adjusts to new balance signals. You may feel heavy headed or unsteady on quick turns. This is why vertigo duration often includes a long recovery phase.

How Long Should Ménière’s Disease Vertigo Last?

Guidelines say Ménière’s attacks usually last 20 minutes to 12 hours, sometimes up to 24 hours. If vertigo lasts far outside that range, your doctor may look for another cause.

Can Dehydration Cause Long-Lasting Dizziness?

Low fluid levels can lower blood pressure and reduce blood flow to the brain. That can cause lightheaded spells that feel like vertigo and may last hours. Fixing fluids often shortens vertigo duration in these cases.

When Does Vertigo Mean Stroke?

Vertigo can signal stroke when it appears with trouble speaking, weakness, face droop, or vision loss. In that case, call emergency services right away.

Does Vertigo Ever Become Permanent?

Some people have long-term imbalance after severe inner ear loss or brain injury. Yet even then, vestibular rehab can improve function over time and reduce how long vertigo lasts during daily tasks.

How Long Does Vertigo Last After An Ear Infection?

After viral vestibular neuritis, strong vertigo often improves in a few days. Mild dizziness can stay for weeks or months. How long vertigo lasts depends on how fast your brain compensates.

How Quickly Does Vestibular Therapy Work?

Some people feel better within a few therapy sessions. Others need weeks. Studies show it often reduces dizziness and improves balance, but vertigo recovery time varies with diagnosis and effort.

Can Sleeping Position Affect How Long Vertigo Lasts?

With BPPV, sleeping flat or on the affected side can trigger spells at night. That may make you feel BPPV vertigo lasts longer, because you face more short attacks while in bed.