Easy Breathing Techniques to Help Relieve Vertigo

Vertigo can make you feel like the room is spinning, often bringing dizziness, imbalance, or nausea along with it. While the cause may be anything from an inner ear condition to migraines or anxiety, certain breathing exercises can help calm your nervous system and reduce the discomfort during an episode.

Why Breathing Helps with Vertigo

When vertigo strikes, your body can trigger a stress response tight muscles, shallow breathing, and a racing heart that worsens symptoms. Breathing techniques engage the diaphragm, slow your heart rate, and promote relaxation, making the sensations easier to manage.

Three Breathing Exercises for Vertigo

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing

Deep belly breathing encourages full oxygen exchange and reduces tension.
How to:

• Sit or lie comfortably.

• Place one hand on your chest and the other on your lower belly.

• Inhale slowly through your nose, feeling your belly rise.

• Exhale gently through your mouth.

• Continue until symptoms ease.

2. Pursed-Lip Breathing

This technique slows exhalation, improving oxygen flow.
How to:

• Inhale through your nose.

• Pucker your lips as if blowing out a candle.

• Exhale slowly through pursed lips.

• Repeat several times.

3. Alternate Nostril Breathing

A yoga-based practice that calms the nervous system and balances airflow.
How to:

• Sit upright.

• Use your thumb to close your right nostril and inhale through the left.

• Close the left nostril with your ring finger, open the right, and exhale.

• Inhale through the right, switch, and exhale through the left.

• Repeat up to 10 times.

Other Vertigo Exercises

If vertigo is caused by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) when tiny crystals in the inner ear shift special head and body maneuvers can help. Always confirm the diagnosis and affected ear canal with a healthcare provider before trying these.

Common maneuvers include:

• Epley Maneuver: Sequential head movements to guide crystals back into place.

• Brandt-Daroff Exercises: Repeated side-lying movements to reduce sensitivity.

• Semont Maneuver: Rapid side-to-side shifts to reposition crystals.

• Foster Maneuver (Half Somersault): A kneeling position with controlled head tilts to correct crystal placement.

Tip: Dizziness or mild nausea during these maneuvers is normal at first. Move slowly and combine with breathing techniques for comfort.

Safety Considerations

• Get a medical evaluation before starting positional maneuvers.

• Learn the correct technique from a professional to avoid worsening symptoms.

• Rest upright for several hours after repositioning maneuvers to help crystals stay in place.

Bottom Line

Breathing exercises can help calm the body during vertigo episodes, especially when paired with medical treatments for the underlying cause. For BPPV, targeted maneuvers can often bring lasting relief, but proper diagnosis and guidance are key.

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