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BPPV stands for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

• Benign meaning not harmful

• Paroxysmal meaning a sudden, severe attack

• Positional referring to being triggered by head movement

• Vertigo from the latin root vertere meaning "to turn"

Together, this describes a condition in which individuals experience sudden attacks of a spinning around feeling, often precipitated by a specific head movement. This condition is caused by a disruption in your inner ear balance system, and it is the leading cause of vertigo.

Your balance system is complex and not only involves your ears but your brain as well. While vertigo can have many causes, if your qualified healthcare professional diagnoses you with BPPV, it indicates that your vertigo is not a sign of more serious disease, in your brain for example. Instead, the unstable feeling is caused by a displaced "crystal" or "otolith" in the inner ear canal. Your inner ear canal detects when your head tilts from front to back, or side to side. Your brain receives signals as the liquid tilts and moves along inside your inner ear canal, and it uses these signals to level you, similar to if you've ever used a level for hanging a picture frame straight. Proper function is essential for you to be able to stay standing up straight, and when there is a crystal blocking the flow or causing movement even when you are still, your brain receives all kinds of confusing signals. This is what causes the feeling of spinning around.

The best and most effective treatment for BPPV is to perform a series of head movements to push the crystal out of your inner ear canal. This is called the Epley maneuver. Because you are moving the crystal around, you need to be cautious because you may temporarily increase your sense of dizziness before it is fixed. Also, if you perform the Epley maneuver ineffectively, you make not move the crystal out of your inner ear canal and may continue to experience dizziness. The best thing to do is to be guided through the Epley maneuver by your healthcare professional; however, if you experience frequent bouts of vertigo caused by BPPV, you should consult your doctor to see if they can provide you with guidance to be able to perform the Epley maneuver at home. In addition, to guide you through the steps of the Epley maneuver, we recommend the Eply Assist app, which is a free resource that is available for download from the App Store.