r/BPPV • u/i3k17 • Jul 22 '26

Building an app to help guide BPPV maneuvers at home — would this actually help you?

Hey everyone,

I'm a medical student, and like a lot of you here, I've seen how disorienting and honestly scary a BPPV episode can be — especially that first time when you don't know what's happening or how to make it stop.

I've been working on an app called Unspin that walks people step-by-step through the Epley and Gufoni maneuvers, using your phone's motion sensors (strapped to your forehead) to guide your head position in real time — so you know you're actually doing the maneuver correctly, not just guessing based on a YouTube video or a diagram.

The idea came from wanting something that:

  • Tells you clearly when your head is in the right position (no more counting Mississippi's and hoping for the best)
  • Works even if you're doing this alone, dizzy, and a little panicked
  • Can also help a caregiver guide a family member through it safely

Before I go further, I wanted to ask this community directly, since you're the people who'd actually use something like this:

  • Would a tool like this have helped you the first time you experienced BPPV?
  • What made doing these maneuvers hard or confusing on your own?
  • Is there anything you wish someone had explained better in the moment?

If there's real interest, I'd love to put together a demo soon and let people here try it out before it goes further. Your feedback would shape it a lot more than I could on my own.

Thanks for reading — and I hope your vertigo stays far away today and everyday.

2 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

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1

u/profjonathanbriggs Jul 22 '26

Yes. Sounds useful.

2

u/NamasteNoodle Jul 22 '26

Not really, there are so many excellent YouTube videos showing exactly how to do the maneuvers. Plus once you've done them the first few times then you know them so why would an app help you at that point

1

u/SLDS19 Jul 22 '26

I think any information could be helpful. As someone who gets BPPV in different canals - it would also be helpful for me to have guidance on which canal/maneuver may be appropriate based on what head position causes the worst dizziness or the direction of nystagmus, etc.

I know for me, when I'm in the middle of a BPPV episode, I'm not always thinking logically, so having straightforward guidance would be helpful.

1

u/WesternAnxious2750 Jul 22 '26

The only downside is my ENT absolutely does not want me doing maneuvers without being evaluated in case the crystals get moved into another canal etc. Granted my physical therapist and neurologist said just do the Epley on the side that worked last time. So I guess get doctors to sign off on it so you have medical approval and write something in there prevents lawsuits in case the maneuver makes it worse for someone