Vertigo
What is vertigo?
Vertigo is the term used to describe a false sensation of movement or spinning. It is often referred to as ‘dizziness’, which is a less specific term that can refer to anything from feeling light-headed or unsteady to a spinning sensation.
What causes vertigo?
Any condition that causes problems with the balance mechanism in your inner ear (the vestibular labyrinth) can cause vertigo. The more common conditions that cause vertigo include:
- benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (which causes brief episodes of vertigo associated with certain sudden head movements);
- vestibular neuronitis or labyrinthitis (inflammation of the inner ear or its nerve, which causes sudden, intense vertigo); and
- Meniere's disease (a condition that causes episodic vertigo, ringing in the ear, hearing impairment and a feeling of fullness in the ear).
Migraine headaches can also cause vertigo. Less commonly, stroke, mini-stroke (TIA — transient ischaemic attack) or a tumour of the nerve connecting the inner ear to the brain can be the cause of vertigo.
What are the symptoms?
People with vertigo often feel as if they are spinning or moving, or as if the world is spinning around them. Vertigo can last from a couple of minutes to hours, and is often accompanied by nausea and sometimes vomiting. Certain positions or movements (e.g. turning over in bed or moving your head back to look up) can bring on vertigo or make it worse.
What tests are available?
Your doctor may determine the cause of your vertigo by asking specific questions about your symptoms and examining you. The examination may include checking your hearing and balance, as well as testing whether certain head positions cause vertigo. Your doctor will also look for any abnormal rhythmic eye movements (known as nystagmus), which are usually seen in people with vertigo.
You may also need to have some tests, which may include formal hearing tests and possibly a scan of your brain.
Treatment
The treatment of vertigo depends on what's causing it. There are medications that can be used to control both the dizzy sensations and nausea and vomiting if they occur.
If you suffer from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), your doctor may treat you by performing a simple procedure that involves moving your head into a variety of different positions. BPPV is caused by tiny particles in the fluid-filled canals of your inner ear becoming trapped in the wrong place. The so-called canalith repositioning procedure works by dislodging these particles so that they move into a part of the ear where they don't cause any problems.
Last Reviewed: 19 September 2008
