A feeling of the room spinning around you can be very frightening,especially if you do not know how and from where the feeling of dizziness happens. If there is positional vertigo occurring more than two or three times ,the first clinical question is which ear the vertigo is happening.

 Knowing the side helps you perform the right home maneuver and lets your ENT doctor target treatment quickly. This blog explains practical ways to pinpoint the problem, offers safe at-home checks, shows how specialists confirm the diagnosis and highlights when to visit an ENT clinic in Kerala for comprehensive care.

Why the “problem ear” matters

Most short-lived spinning sensations come from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). In BPPV loose calcium crystals drift into a semicircular canal of one inner ear. Therapy for this includes placing or moving these crystals back to a safer area.The Epley and Semont maneuvers will work only if you start by turning towards the ear which is affected , so understanding how to tell which ear is causing vertigo determines success. Mistaken side selection can prolong symptoms and increase fall risk.

A quick look at your balance system

The inner ear has three fluid-filled semicircular canals and two gravity sensors (utricle and saccule). Any mismatch between right and left signals makes the brain feel rotation. Identifying the side that sends false messages is the goal of every bedside and laboratory test described below.

Common clues that point to the affected ear

1. Direction of spinning: If lying down with the head turned right triggers clockwise spinning, the right ear is often responsible.

2. Side that feels heavier: Patients sometimes sense fullness or hearing muffling in the culprit ear.

3. Nystagmus pattern: Tiny jerking eye movements beat toward the ear with dislodged crystals.

While these clues help, structured tests offer more reliable answers. The next sections show how to tell which ear is causing vertigo through simple at-home checks and professional evaluation.

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How to check it at home (safe self-tests)

Before trying any maneuver make sure a family member is present because dizziness can be intense. If you have neck or spine problems skip self-tests and go straight to an ENT specialist.

1. The Dix-Hallpike at home

Step-by-step:

• Sit on your bed with legs extended.

• Turn your head 45 degrees to the right and quickly lie back so your shoulders land on the pillow, keeping your head hanging slightly.

• Watch for spinning or eye jerks. Note which position provokes symptoms.

• Sit up, rest, then repeat on the left side.

If the right-head-hanging position triggers vertigo within 30 seconds and the left does not, you have learned how to tell which ear is causing vertigo, it is likely the right ear.

2. The Supine Roll test

This detects horizontal canal BPPV.

• Lie flat facing the ceiling.

• Quickly turn your head 90 degrees to the right. Wait for spinning to stop.

• Return to center then turn 90 degrees to the left.

• The louder spinning usually indicates the affected side.

3. The Side-Lying test

Useful for people with neck stiffness.

• Sit at the bed edge and turn your head 45 degrees to the left.

• Swiftly lies down on the right shoulder.

• Observe vertigo onset. Reverse directions to test the other ear.

Handy tip list

• Keep eyes open during each move because eye jerks guide diagnosis.

• Use a phone camera in selfie mode to record your eyes for later review by an ENT Doctor.

• Stop if vertigo lasts longer than one minute because prolonged spinning can signal another disorder.

Repeating these steps fulfills the goal of how to tell which ear is causing vertigo while you wait for your clinic appointment. Remember home tests are screening tools, not definitive answers.

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Table – Comparing at-home positional tests

Using this table while you practice each maneuver clarifies how to tell which ear is causing vertigo based on quick observations.

Explain how ENT finds it in the clinic

Even if you master how to tell which ear is causing vertigo yourself, confirming the side in a clinical setting is essential before advanced therapy. At Ascent Hospital, the best ENT hospital in Kerala, specialists follow evidence-based protocols.

Clinical bedside maneuvers

ENT specialists repeat Dix-Hallpike and Roll tests while wearing Frenzel goggles that magnify eye motion. Minute differences that patients miss become obvious.

Instrumented balance tests

1. Videonystagmography (VNG) – infrared cameras chart eye movements and automatically mark the dominant side.

2. Caloric irrigation – warm and cool air alternately stimulate each ear. Unequal responses reveal the weaker ear.

3. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) – muscle responses to sound pinpoint saccule or utricle dysfunction on one side.

Modern units of these tests are available at Ascent Hospital Perinthalmanna, Ascent Hospital Calicut and Ascent Hospital Palakkad. Technology plus expert interpretation makes the facility a leader in Vertigo treatment in Kerala.

Advanced imaging when needed

If positional maneuvers are negative, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) rules out rare causes such as vestibular schwannoma or otitis media complications. Rapid referral through the Best ENT Clinic network ensures no time is lost.

When to seek expert care immediately

• Vertigo lasts more than a few minutes without head movement.

• You notice hearing loss, ear pain or fluid leakage which can indicate Otitis Media.

• You cannot complete home tests due to severe imbalance or vomiting.

• Another medical condition like heart disease complicates dizziness.

Ascent ENT hospital offers 24 hrs ENT emergency cover so you can walk into the Throat Head and Neck unit any time.

Treatment options once the ear is known

1. Epley or Semont maneuver - performed by a Best ENT surgeon in Kerala at bedside to reposition crystals.

2. Brandt-Daroff exercises - daily home routine that prevents recurrence.

3. Medication - short-term vestibular suppressants reduce nausea although they do not fix the underlying ear.

4. Canal plugging surgery - rare, reserved for refractory posterior canal BPPV and offered at Cochlear implantation hospital Kerala which also hosts a balance clinic.

Understanding how to tell which ear is causing vertigo allows each of these treatments to be directed precisely, shortening recovery.

Key takeaways

• Determining how to tell which ear is causing vertigo is the first step toward rapid relief.

• Safe home maneuvers such as Dix-Hallpike, Supine Roll and Side-Lying give useful clues.

• ENT specialists confirm the side with VNG, caloric tests and imaging when necessary.

• Targeted particle-repositioning maneuvers work best when the correct ear is treated.

Ready to stop the spinning?

Book an appointment with the experts at Ascent ENT Hospital Kerala today. Our dedicated Balance Disorder unit combines world-class diagnostics, compassionate care and state-of-the-art therapy so you can return to life without vertigo. Call now or schedule online to see why patients across India and Dubai trust Ascent for clear answers and lasting relief.

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