Overview
Vertigo is the false sensation that you or the room is spinning, usually arising from the balance organs of the inner ear. The commonest type is triggered by head position changes and is curable with simple repositioning manoeuvres. Dizziness with neurological signs is a different, urgent matter.
Symptoms
- Spinning sensation, often triggered by turning the head or lying down
- Nausea or vomiting during episodes
- Loss of balance or unsteady walking
- Episodes lasting seconds to hours depending on cause
- Sometimes ringing in the ear or hearing change
Causes & risk factors
- Loose crystals in the inner ear (BPPV — positional vertigo)
- Inner-ear inflammation after a viral infection
- Meniere's disease (with hearing change and tinnitus)
- Migraine
- Low blood pressure, anaemia or medication effects causing non-spinning dizziness
Treatment & self-care
Positional vertigo is often cured in one or two clinic sessions with a head-repositioning manoeuvre; other causes are managed with short-term medicines, hydration and balance exercises a clinician prescribes. Move carefully during episodes and avoid driving until settled. Recurrent or unexplained vertigo deserves ENT assessment.
See a doctor urgently if
- Vertigo with slurred speech, double vision, weakness or severe headache — emergency
- Sudden hearing loss with vertigo
- Episodes with fainting or falls
- Persistent vertigo beyond a few days