Breathing Exercises for Vertigo
Calm your vestibular system through controlled breathing
Vertigo and dizziness often involve vestibular-autonomic interactions — the balance system and the nervous system are deeply interconnected. Anxiety and hyperventilation can trigger or worsen vertigo, creating a vicious cycle: dizziness causes anxiety, anxiety causes hyperventilation, hyperventilation causes more dizziness.
Slow, controlled breathing breaks this cycle at the hyperventilation point. By normalizing CO2 levels and reducing respiratory rate, breathing exercises prevent the blood alkalosis that exacerbates vestibular symptoms. Coherence breathing (5.5 seconds in, 5.5 seconds out) is the ideal technique — it's slow enough to normalize CO2 but gentle enough not to trigger additional dizziness.
Important: breathing exercises manage vertigo symptoms and break the anxiety-vertigo cycle. They do not treat underlying vestibular disorders like BPPV, vestibular neuritis, or Meniere's disease. If you experience persistent vertigo, see an ENT or vestibular specialist. Breathing exercises are a symptom management tool, not a diagnostic or treatment tool.
Benefits
- Breaks the vertigo-anxiety-hyperventilation cycle
- Normalizes CO2 levels that hyperventilation depletes
- Slow breathing reduces sympathetic activation that worsens vestibular symptoms
- Can be done seated or lying down — no standing required during episodes
- Safe to use alongside vestibular rehabilitation therapy
Frequently Asked Questions
Can breathing exercises stop vertigo?
They can reduce vertigo symptoms by breaking the anxiety-hyperventilation cycle and normalizing CO2 levels. They work best for vertigo triggered or worsened by anxiety and overbreathing. They will not stop vertigo caused by inner ear disorders (BPPV, Meniere's) — see a specialist for those.
Which breathing exercise is best for vertigo?
Coherence breathing (5.5s in, 5.5s out) seated or lying down. Avoid breath holds if they increase dizziness. Avoid standing practices during episodes. Keep eyes open and fixed on a stable point while breathing. The goal is slow, steady, nasal breathing.
Should I do breathing exercises during a vertigo attack?
Yes — lie down in a comfortable position, fix your gaze on a stable point, and breathe slowly through your nose (5 seconds in, 5 seconds out). This won't stop the vestibular component, but it will prevent the hyperventilation that amplifies symptoms. It also reduces the panic that often accompanies acute vertigo.
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