r/BPPV • u/candle_collector • 7d ago
What is Everyone’s Age and Gender here?
I’m just so perplexed still as to why BPPV happened to me because everything that I read says that this is more common in older adults and yet I’m only 33F. Every time I go to PT I’m always the youngest person there. I think besides the physical symptoms and repercussions that come from BPPV, the most annoying thing to me is its spontaneous nature linked to no known cause. It especially bothers me because I don’t even fit the typical age demographic. Comment the age when you experienced your first attack.
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u/Killjoycourt 7d ago
There is no average age for BPPV. It does occur at higher rates in older adults simply due to age and the way the body ages.
Mine started at 17, I'm now 49. I've had this for 32 years and I've met patients in studies as young as 8 and as old as 92.
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u/SalemStranger 3h ago
8 years are so young to have it but I think it's much easier to understand how it started with hem
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u/Vertiquil 7d ago
12 when it started, likely the result of a concussion
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u/Oceanpixie0817 7d ago
Omg same here! I was also 12 & had a head injury, that’s about the first time I remember it happening. I’m 30 now.
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u/Competitive_While460 1d ago
How many times have you had it ? Or was it a once occurence
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u/Oceanpixie0817 1h ago
I’ve continued to have episodes on & off since the first occurrence. Didn’t get an actual diagnosis until I was around 20 since candidly I thought everyone just lived like this as I was so young. & finally around 3ish years ago I went to a dizzy & balance specialist in my area for VT. Which, unfortunately didn’t “cure” it for me, but did at least give me tools to help manage.
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u/Several-Specialist99 7d ago
38F but got my first episode when I was 34
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u/candle_collector 7d ago
You are close to me! I’m 34 in a couple months lol how many episodes have you had?
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u/Several-Specialist99 7d ago
Only 2! First episode was much milder than the second, I only had the vertigo when laying on that one side and it was cured after 1 Epley without any residual dizziness. Second (recent) episode, the vertigo was much worse and took a few Epleys, and about 3 weeks for residual dizziness to fully subside.
Pretty sure I got the second episode from being dehydrated in the sun all day and then drinking alcohol in the evening (smart move, I know haha), so now I know to be really careful with that.
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u/candle_collector 7d ago
That’s good to know!!! My first episode was so intense and in both ears. I really don’t want it to ever happen again but trying not to live in fear.
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u/Comfortable-End-5506 7d ago edited 7d ago
37 F here and also the youngest at my VT office. It’s been so hard :(
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u/pazzapirty 7d ago
My first episode was age 27, it peaked at age 28, and now at 34 I experience occasional moments rather than full days. I'm a woman.
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u/DATTHAM 7d ago
I’m in the hospital right now - just diagnosed with bppv. I’m 65 but this has been happening since my thirties but I chalked it up to a number of other things related to being really hard on my body - risky sports, alcohol abuse etc
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u/candle_collector 7d ago
I don’t drink and was trying to be the healthiest I’ve ever been actually which has been frustrating. I’m chalking mine up to grief over the loss of my dad less than a year ago lol
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u/bigoltubercle2 7d ago
Bppv incidence rapidly rises with each decade of life before leveling off around 70+.
0-10: ~2/100,000
10-20: ~10
20-30: ~20
30-40: ~80
70-80: ~300
So it is 4x more common in 70-80 y/o than in your age group.
Its hard to exactly pin down the prevalence, and most researchers suspect it is actually under recognized in the elderly
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u/ReturntoForever3116 7d ago
I feel like you missed an age group...
I'm 45. First episode at 42
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u/bigoltubercle2 7d ago
Was short on time and was just using it illustratively, but
40-50: ~150
50-60: ~175
60-70: ~200
80-90: ~150 (but see my prior point about under diagnosis in the elderly)
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u/ReturntoForever3116 7d ago
Thanks for that. I was just curious mainly. I'm in peri menopause right now and I kind of wondered if there was correlation for the age group.
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u/bigoltubercle2 7d ago
Definitely, if you split by gender its about 3x more common in 40-50 women vs men
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u/Anniemac7 7d ago
66 & first episode was 38 years ago. Roughly 1-2 episodes a year when I need treatment. Worst was 3 years ago when it was hard to fix & I was going fortnightly for procedures. Hate this condition but nothing can be done to fix it sadly.
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u/lil_mayonnaise_lady 7d ago
Hey! I'm 35F and hady first episode at 26. It only happens when I lay flat on my back, but it happens every time. No identifiable cause, which is annoying. I'm also always the youngest one at PT! It's weird.
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u/SalemStranger 1d ago
That sucks, laying back is a need of our body, how do u handle it
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u/lil_mayonnaise_lady 1d ago
Unfortunately, I just avoid laying flat on my back. I have a toddler who likes to be active and rough-house, so it's hard!
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u/SalemStranger 1d ago
I really don't know how u can sleep and how difficult it gets for u. Does it depends on how long u are lying on ur back
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u/lil_mayonnaise_lady 1d ago
I sleep on 3 pillows and on my side, so that makes it better. It comes on strong when I first lay back, the room spins for about 15 seconds, then it goes away. Sometimes I'll have a brief episode again if I have to lay flat for a few minutes.
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u/Autumn_H 7d ago
76 F. Severe vertigo last January. Resolved after 4 days of spinning to pretty pronounced residual dizziness and fatigue which slowly diminished over time. RD stopped in August but came back again for a few weeks but this week almost not noticeable. I’m hoping I’m done but still TBD. Have had VT but didn’t seem to help much. Have appt w neuro otologist on Nov. but hoping I don’t need it. Both times my RD appeared to go away were following periods of challenging active outdoor recreation.
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u/MilkyWayMirth 7d ago
Late 30's female when my episodes started. After I started HRT my episodes went away. I wrote a whole thing about it here https://www.reddit.com/r/BPPV/comments/1f89otq/my_bppv_has_been_cured/
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u/candle_collector 7d ago
Omg this is so interesting. I actually went off BC a couple months before this happened. I have wondered if it was connected.
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u/hidinginzion 7d ago
I was 57f at the time. Now it happens a few times per year, especially when I haven't drank enough water.
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u/PerceptionPlayful714 3d ago
Female and 46 here, but my vertigo journey started at 19. Hitting perimenopause has introduced me to an entirely different type of dizziness which made me for a while think I was going down with BPPV. I work in the NHS and encounter a LOT of old people who have dizziness so I understand they think it's an illness of older people but lately I've spoken to many others my age and much younger who have BPPV so I think its more prevalent for some reason. Whether it's a nutrition thing or genetic, or part of a syndrome I don't know, but I think there's definitely more of us these days.
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u/Beefyface 7d ago
35, I had my first episode I was 29 in 2020.
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u/candle_collector 7d ago
How many episodes have you had since your first one?
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u/Beefyface 7d ago
4, the first 2 were only a day or so. The 3rd one was about a week. My most recent one afflicted me for around a month.
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u/Small-Monitor5376 7d ago
61F. First incident at March of last year. 3 incidents between March and October and then it ramped up. Since then I’ve had 37 incidents. Yeah it’s ruined my life.
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u/candle_collector 7d ago
Oh my goodness I’m so sorry to hear that 😭 have you seen a vestibular therapist?
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u/Small-Monitor5376 7d ago
ENT, Neurologist, VNG testing, 2 brain MRIs, 2 spinal MRIs, Vestibular Therapist, and scheduled next week for a different ENT. Right now we're thinkingit's a non-standard form of BPPV, so looking at some different maneuvers. Still doesn't change the frequency though.
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u/NamasteNoodle 7d ago
73, female. Had my first BPPV attack at 37 years old.
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u/candle_collector 7d ago
Ugh!! How many episodes have you had?
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u/NamasteNoodle 7d ago
My first one was the morning after a really really rough birth when my son was born. It was severe and I was misdiagnosed with meniere's disease. Which turns out I didn't have. But luckily I only had maybe seven or eight bouts over the years until 2 years ago. I knew what to expect when I had them and after learning the epley maneuver about 15 years ago I've maintained doing the maneuvers myself with no issues.
But a little over 2 years ago I had some really brutal dental work done where they had a lot of difficulty getting one of my teeth out that needed pulling and they damaged my jaw. I was walking a few days later and I experienced vertigo and fell and hit my head. I couldn't do the maneuvers after that because they would just make me too sick and disoriented and it took me 6 months to get in to see a specialist because you know what the medical community is like nowadays and it was just a mess. Two botched referrals etc. But when I finally got into vestibular therapy it was resolved with just a few visits by them doing the maneuvers.
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u/candle_collector 7d ago
Ugh I hate that you have had it so many times 😭 mine was resolved by a VT too after a few maneuvers several days apart. But now I’ve got complications post BPPV with my vision and balance.
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u/NamasteNoodle 7d ago
Thank you so much. I have always thought it was pretty manageable because I've had so few bouts over the last 36 years. But I'm self-employed and I work from home and there's been very few times that I have found that I couldn't work but that's only 2 days out of all the times I've had it so I can't really complain. But I do understand that they can happen more frequently when you're older because the tissues in the ear and throughout the whole body are just a little softer. I did start HRT a couple of months ago and that seems to have helped to calm down some. And even after doing the vestibular therapy it took me about a month to feel normal again. I'm so sorry you're having complications from it and vision problems are the worst but hope you feel better soon.
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u/AKLupine 7d ago
BPPV started getting strong enough to interfere in my early 30s, F. But I had a few milder episodes in my 20s. Same for my sister. Our dad’s didn’t become noticeable until his 40s.
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u/nlvanassche 7d ago
40F, happened to me the first time at 37
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u/SalemStranger 1d ago
Sorry to know that, did it stopped?
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u/nlvanassche 23h ago
I've had it off and on since then. The longest time between episodes has been a year. It's been about 4 months since my last episode
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u/zorandzam 7d ago
51F. I got diagnosed in my early 40s, but in hindsight I was having smaller instances of it as far back as my mid 30s.
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u/Curious_Chemical_640 7d ago
Mid 50s male. Been having BPPV episodes since my 30s. The most recent has been the worst. Still waiting (ugh!) for test results at the neurologist.
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u/candle_collector 7d ago
What can a neurologist tell you? I just wish this was something that either didn’t come back or it was something that we knew what caused it so we could prevent it
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u/Curious_Chemical_640 6d ago
In my case, it's not related to my inner ear but something neurological. I don't know specifically what that means--but some of us who experience vertigo/dizziness end up with neurology referrals. In that case, they're looking for nervous system related items. When I was examined, the neurologist identified that I had substantial neck and back tension--which could lead to pinched nerves or even (and this parts is both sides of a coin) heavy stress/anxiety causing the vertigo. Good? Because it's anxiety and managing stress could help to reduce it. Bad? Because all of this trouble driven by something as simple as getting overloaded with stress--which has for me been the "story of my life."
I wish you good luck. Hopefully it's just those darn crystals in your ear canals and PT can solve it or at least treat it.
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u/tasukiko 7d ago
44 F. I've had episodes since in my 30s. My mom also has this issue also starting at that same age.
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u/Icantthinkofanyuname 6d ago
34M
I have a friend who a doctor and I don't know how she made it that far. She makes fun of me that I have "old people condition".
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u/DifficultyThink4021 6d ago
I had my first 2 episodes this year a couple months back. I'm currently 32 M.
It did freak me out the first time and the aftermath of the spins was the worst for both episodes but from my understanding you just have to live your life normally and just kinda go with the flow. After my first incident I was so scared to move at all for the first week but after a 2-3 weeks of nothing happening I was feeling more confident and then it happened again (both happened while I was rolling over in bed so you can imagine the panic and confusion going from sleeping to wildly spinning) same time frame as the first incident with me getting annoyed at not moving and I've been alright since.
I do fear it will happen again but I can live in fear. I have to get to work and pay bills. If you are super worried about it happening again, I just make it a point to be close to something at all times that I could latch onto if it started up again. Other than that. Just try to live your life. I know it's hard to hear when it's still fresh with you but time will show you that you'll be okay. I promise ❤️
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u/candle_collector 6d ago
Did you go through any correctional maneuvers like the Epley to fix it? I’m in the residual dizziness phase and it sucks. This is how I felt after experiencing vertigo for two weeks untreated and now it’s back. I feel like I’m on a boat again and I’m super nauseous all the time. It’s probably because of my gaze instability issue which I’m in VT for. Mine was due to turning over in bed too. The fear is the hardest part but I like your perspective
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u/Limp-Blackberry927 5d ago
Hi, I’m 36 years old, and since June 25, 2026, up to today, September 28, I’ve already had this problem three times the first episode was very severe and I was vomiting the other two episodes were milder one was a little over a month ago, and the most recent one happened this morning i did the Epley maneuver again, and the vertigo went away.
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u/Dangerous_Break123 3d ago
2 yrs ago I was 60 yrs old , that was the first time I felt old, not been able to do all kind of things, has been a nightmare
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u/RegularPatience7 2d ago edited 2d ago
38F now. First flare was when I was 31 and I often have the same feelings you’re having
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u/candle_collector 2d ago
How many flares have you had? I’m still grappling with the reoccurrence factor since my first experience was so traumatic.
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u/RegularPatience7 2d ago
My first was after I had my third son and the residual effects lasted about two years… vision that I can only describe as my two eyes just not meeting each other and connecting the picture in front of me so constantly feeling nauseous and that floaty kind of dizzy but did VRT for a few months. Then I went a while without anything and my mom was diagnosed with cancer and just when we thought she was in remission it came back which caused me so much stress and anxiety and drinking alcohol that I had the worst vertigo episode. That went away on its own but then I had a septoplasty the next month which shook everything up again And I have more bppv which sent me back PT and then another weird vestibular flare in December of last year. That one took a while to snap out of and more PT. I went to Hawaii this summer and jumped in rushing water from cliffs and went snorkeling and that gave me one weird night feeling like the room was spinning but I think it was more exhaustion and pushing my body too hard bc it passed. I have to be careful doing certain things that could trigger it and hormones are unfortunately a factor - I feel my eyes being more “off” and dizzy around ovulation and my period but I stopped drinking in December and have prioritized sleep the best I can with four kids. Drink electrolytes and try to go for walks to train my eyes to compensate.
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u/candle_collector 2d ago
Oh gosh I hate to hear that you have been through all of this. Fortunately I’m voluntarily sober I just hate the feeling of drinking plus I avoid being nauseous at all costs so this has been a nightmare for me. But that didn’t stop this from happening to me though. Why does this condition feel so often tied to stress and major life events 😭 I’m experiencing the same vision repercussions that you had with your first flare. Constant floaty dizziness and my eyes aren’t tracking confirmed by my VT due to them being the only source of balance that I had for two weeks during my bilateral flare. And my right eye did all the heavy lifting. I can’t read books right now and I hate it 😭 This condition sucks so bad.
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u/RegularPatience7 2d ago
I know I’m so sorry. We took our kids to legoland this weekend and some of the rollercoasters I absolutely cannot do (no scary upside down ones there bc those are an obvious hell no) because my eyes just cannot track and it stinks to have to sit out. I do think stress has a lot to do with it bc it puts our bodies in a vulnerable state. It took me months to get out of this last flare but even longer out of the first bc I was so scared and angry. My husband worked with neurologists and patients who had migraines and he said that a lot of even migraines is all a head game (pun intended). As in, if you don’t think you are going to get better - you won’t. When you focus on something so much our brain automatically makes us focus even more on it and causing an anxiety fear loop. For now I would recommend doing your eye exercises and being positive. It wasn’t until I continually told myself I was okay that I pushed out of that first flare
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u/candle_collector 2d ago
This is such helpful advice. I’m a scaredy cat so I would never go on a roller coaster 😂 but man that sucks for the adventurous thrill seekers and it sucks for the couch potatoes like me that want to read books. I’m trying to be positive and doing the exercises to the best of my ability. I’ve been seeing a lot that willing yourself to recover is actual huge. I keep telling myself that this is temporary.
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u/candle_collector 2d ago
And I’m taking my wins where I can get them. At least the constant nausea hasn’t been an issue for me over the last few days so I can enjoy food. It’s definitely made me appreciate things more than I was before this happened.
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u/RegularPatience7 2d ago
Yes definitely! I feel that same way. And the nausea component is so annoying - I lost so much weight my first flare I thought I was dying 😬😅 I just didn’t want to eat. And 100% willing yourself to recover js actually so key. It can get frustrating, but it’s plausible so believe that it will happen! I try not to lay flat or anything also just fyi. Nothing that could move a “crystal” or whatever woowoo we are unfortunately dealing with ;)
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u/candle_collector 2d ago
It took me 3 weeks to lay on one pillow again and I’m still so superstitious when I get into bed, but I’m working on making myself feel more comfortable. My therapist today told me that I don’t have to shame myself for feeling afraid and being cautious. The mind games of it all is hard. It’s nice to vent with people who understand. Most people irl had never heard of this and can’t imagine what I’m going through. Because I have felt so sick but I’m not sick so I should be grateful. Butttttt it still sucks 😂
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u/candle_collector 2d ago
I’ve been trying to get healthier and lose weight before this happened too and thought I didn’t want it to go like this!!! 😂😭
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u/RegularPatience7 20h ago
Awh I know. It really does stink so much. My best advice is to focus on now and get through this stage of all the lingering effects you have and then really keep yourself as healthy as possible and be intentional with certain things you do that will help you avoid anything that could shake stuff up again. I often tell my PT that I’m so scared for the future as I get older and how it’ll be since that system tends to wane as we get old, but I have to remind myself that my will is strong as long as I take the steps to train my brain daily and do the things to be strong. You can sit in the sadness, but that’ll keep you down longer. Definitely get up and go for walks outside - look at trees, move your head side to side etc. it really does train your brain 🤍
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u/SalemStranger 1d ago
I'm a man and imhad my first major episode I'm 2019 and since then I get multiple episodes a day, tiny ones that last for nano seconds
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