Which statement best describes the typical presentation of BPPV?

Which statement best describes the typical presentation of BPPV?

• A. Vertigo lasting days without positional triggers
• B. Vertigo with continuous hearing loss
• C. Brief episodes of vertigo triggered by posture changes
• D. Vertigo caused by fever

Answer: (C)

BPPV is defined by brief episodes of vertigo that occur with changes in head position relative to gravity. This happens because small otoconia crystals become free-floating in one of the semicircular canals, so when you tilt or move your head, the crystals move and briefly disturb the fluid and hair cells, causing a spinning sensation that lasts seconds to about a minute. The episodes are typically provoked by specific postures (like turning over in bed, looking up, or bending down) and then subside as the movement stops. There is usually no hearing loss, tinnitus, fever, or ongoing dizziness. So the description that fits is short vertigo spells that are triggered by posture changes. The other patterns—vertigo lasting days without positional triggers, vertigo with continuous hearing loss, or vertigo associated with fever—point to different conditions and aren’t characteristic of BPPV.

BPPV is defined by brief episodes of vertigo that occur with changes in head position relative to gravity. This happens because small otoconia crystals become free-floating in one of the semicircular canals, so when you tilt or move your head, the crystals move and briefly disturb the fluid and hair cells, causing a spinning sensation that lasts seconds to about a minute. The episodes are typically provoked by specific postures (like turning over in bed, looking up, or bending down) and then subside as the movement stops. There is usually no hearing loss, tinnitus, fever, or ongoing dizziness.

So the description that fits is short vertigo spells that are triggered by posture changes. The other patterns—vertigo lasting days without positional triggers, vertigo with continuous hearing loss, or vertigo associated with fever—point to different conditions and aren’t characteristic of BPPV.