Vertigo

Vertigo is a sensation of spinning dizziness. It is not, as many people maintain, a fear of heights.

It is often associated with looking down from a great height but can refer to any temporary or ongoing spells of dizziness caused by problems in the inner ear or brain.

Many conditions can cause Vertigo.

Symptoms:

A person with Vertigo will have a sense that their head, or their surrounding environment, is moving or spinning.

Vertigo can be a symptom of other conditions, and it can also have its own set of related symptoms.

These include:

Balance problems and lightheadedness

A sense of motion sickness

Nausea and vomiting

Tinnitus

A feeling of fullness in the ear

Headache

Vertigo is not just a general feeling of faintness. It is a rotational dizziness.

Causes:

There is a range of different diseases and conditions that can lead to Vertigo.

Vertigo often occurs as the result of an imbalance in the inner ear. Less commonly, problems in parts of the brain can cause Vertigo.

Vertigo can also be caused by or related to:

Migraine headaches

Head injuries or trauma

Taking certain medication

Ear surgery

Side effects of medication or drug toxicity

Types:

There are different types of Vertigo, depending on the cause.

Peripheral Vertigo usually occurs when there is a disturbance in the balance organs of the inner ear.

Central Vertigo occurs as the result of a disturbance in one or more parts of the brain, known as sensory nerve pathways.