How long does vertigo last and how fast can it go away?

Many people wonder: How long does vertigo last?  (In this case, I'm referring to BPPV or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo)

     A few years ago, I had the opportunity to treat an amazing woman who had been suffering from vertigo for a long time.  Every single night that she laid down, she experienced intense spinning which had altered her quality of life significantly.  When I asked her for further details, like "how long exactly has the vertigo been going on," I found out she had lived with this for forty years. FORTY!  She explained that she had been given exercises 20 years ago, but they just made things worse, so she thought she couldn't be helped.

     I explained that her symptoms (spinning that lasted for less than 30 seconds when she laid down or got out of bed) sounded like BPPV, and that since this is a mechanical problem, the mechanical solution should work... regardless of how long the problem has been present.  I also admitted that I had never worked with anyone who had experienced vertigo for this long, so I couldn't promise anything, but she was willing to try.

     After I evaluated her, it was time to try the maneuver to move the "crystals" (technically called otoconia) back to where they belong.  With her husband close by and my guidance, she moved through each position.  After the maneuver was complete, as I always do, I suggested that we retest to see if she was still dizzy when pretending to get in and out of bed.  She laid down in the office... we waited... and we waited... and she started crying... she was no longer dizzy.  She sat back up, and all three of us were overjoyed.  

     With this anecdote in mind, if not treated, vertigo can last many years.  Most of the clients I see have experienced vertigo for around a week to a few months, simply because it is far too unpleasant to "live with."  

How fast can vertigo go away?

     In the above account, it actually took two visits for this client's vertigo to be completely gone.  About a week later she felt the vertigo come back, she returned to the office for another maneuver, and then her dizziness was gone.

     On average BPPV takes 2-3 visits (often with 2-3 maneuvers per visit) to be resolved.  Luckily, it is often solved in just one visit (both I and the patients LOVE when this happens), and other times it takes a few more sessions to resolve.