Causes of Vertigo in Women

Causes of Vertigo in Women: Understanding Your Dizziness

Have you ever experienced that spinning sensation even while you’re standing still? That sudden, unsettling dizziness, sometimes paired with nausea, can really throw you off and make you feel anxious. If you’re a woman going through these dizzy spells and aren’t sure why, it can be quite frustrating. Remember, vertigo isn’t a disease itself; it’s a sign that something in your body’s intricate balance system might need attention.

There are many possible reasons, such as issues in the inner ear or brain, certain medications, or hormonal influences. However, figuring out which one applies to you might seem overwhelming. The good news is, understanding what might be triggering these episodes is the first step toward feeling better. By recognizing how some conditions can specifically impact women, you and your doctor can work together to uncover the underlying cause and help you regain your sense of steadiness.

Know More About Vertigo

• What Is Ear Balance Treatment and When Do You Need It?
• Can Vertigo Be Cured Permanently?
• How Vertigo Is Diagnosed at NeuroEquilibrium

Common Causes of Vertigo in Women

Here are some of the most frequent reasons women experience vertigo:

Vestibular Migraine

You might think of migraines as just a headache, but vestibular migraine is a specific type where the main symptom is dizziness or vertigo, with or without a severe headache. This is a significant and often overlooked cause of vertigo, particularly in young females. We at NeuroEquilibrium have found that triggers can include inadequate sleep, skipping meals, stress, extended screen time, and certain foods like aged cheeses, chocolate, or processed meats. In pregnant women, hormonal shifts can also trigger these symptoms.

Pregnancy-Related Vertigo

Vertigo during pregnancy is a sensation of spinning or imbalance, which can be particularly disorienting. It may vary in nature across the trimesters:

• First Trimester: The most common cause is vertigo, which is usually associated with the hormonal alterations that affect the vestibular system.
• Second Trimester: Women are found to become more unstable, and have problems with gait. Due to deficiencies of Calcium and Vitamin D during this trimester, inner ear crystals may become destabilized and as a result, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) may occur.
• Third Trimester: Balance becomes impaired because of an altered center of gravity and reduced blood flow because of an enlarging uterus.

Dizziness during pregnancy may be caused also by other reasons such as dehydration, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and anemia.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

This is the most common cause of vertigo. It happens when tiny calcium crystals from your inner ear’s utricle become dislodged and float into the fluid-filled semicircular canals. This leads to brief, sudden spinning sensations (lasting less than a minute) when you move your head in a specific way, like getting out of bed, bending down, or looking up. BPPV becomes more common with age and can also be caused by head injury, ear infections, or migraines. We at NeuroEquilibrium have observed a link between low vitamin D levels and an increased risk of BPPV.

Relation to Women: BPPV affects women more frequently—about twice as often as men—with a notable spike in incidence among postmenopausal women. Estrogen deficiency and disrupted calcium metabolism after menopause may lead to increased BPPV risk. Hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause and Vitamin D deficiency are also implicated. 

Ménière’s Disease

This chronic inner ear condition is caused by an increase in fluid pressure. It leads to recurrent episodes of vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and a sensation of fullness in the ear.

Relation to Women: Many women report worsening of Ménière’s symptoms in relation to their menstrual cycle and during pregnancy, with hormonal stress—especially estrogen and progesterone fluctuations—believed to provoke inner ear dysfunction. Some studies also suggest that hormonal contraceptives or menopausal hormone therapy may reduce attack severity.

Vestibular Neuritis and Labyrinthitis

These are usually caused by a viral infection that inflames the balance nerve (vestibular neuritis) or the inner ear itself (labyrinthitis). This leads to sudden, severe vertigo, often with vomiting, that can last for days. Labyrinthitis specifically also causes hearing loss in one ear and is considered a medical emergency.

Relation to Women: Vestibular neuritis affects men and women equally and is one of the common causes of vertigo, with no specific link to women. However, women are at a higher risk of developing labyrinthitis due to hormonal factors, particularly fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone, which may influence inner ear function.

Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD)

This is a common chronic balance disorder characterized by a persistent sensation of unsteadiness or rocking. Symptoms are aggravated by upright posture, body movement, or busy visual environments. PPPD is not caused by anxiety, but it can trigger anxiety, which in turn worsens symptoms, creating a cycle.

Relation to Women: PPPD is significantly more common in women up to 4:1 female-to-male ratio and typically affects people aged 30–50. Hormonal fluctuations, higher rates of anxiety and migraine among women may trigger or aggravate PPPD symptoms. 

Stress and Anxiety

Although stress does not lead to most instances of vertigo, it may precipitate attacks and increase the severity of the symptoms in vulnerable individuals. Constant stress may lead to a vicious circle of vertigo, as it makes the symptoms more severe and difficult to control.

Relation to Women: Women are statistically more likely to experience anxiety disorders. Hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause can heighten stress-related dizziness episodes.

Other Common Causes

• Systemic Problems & Drugs: Vertigo may be a side-effect of drugs or an indication of such medical problems as low blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension), anemia, uncontrolled diabetes, or dehydration.
• Head or Neck Injury: Injury to your head or neck may alter the fragile balance pathways between your inner ear and your brain.
• Poor Posture: Cervical spine problems like muscle strain or whiplash may result in unsteadiness or light headedness, a condition called Cervicogenic Dizziness.

When to Seek Medical Attention

Most causes of vertigo are not serious, but it is always a good idea to consult a doctor, particularly when your vertigo is new, severe or recurrent. You need to consult your doctor promptly in case your vertigo is accompanied by any of the following red flags:

Sudden acute vertigo can be quite disturbing therefore one must take note of any body changes. Take note and seek medical attention should there be changes in your eyes like having double vision or becoming blind and difficulty speaking with fluidity. Moreover, paralyzing or pain on any one side of your body, serious or unusual headache, and the occurrence of reading loss of any hearing in recent times or aggravation in hearing loss should be taken as indication of the necessity to treat yourself with immediacy. Do not be afraid to contact a medical worker to be in good hands.

Diagnosis and Treatment at NeuroEquilibrium

We at NeuroEquilibrium do an in-depth assessment to determine the underlying cause of your vertigo. A variety of special diagnostic instruments is used to obtain a correct image of your balance system. These may involve:

• Vestibular testing is a collection of specialized evaluations that check how well the inner ear and brain work together to maintain balance. Because the vestibular system plays a key role in controlling equilibrium and spatial orientation, these tests are essential for diagnosing the causes of dizziness, vertigo, or unsteadiness. They often focus on monitoring eye movements, since the eyes and inner ear are linked by the vestibulo-ocular reflex, which keeps vision steady when the head moves. Abnormal eye responses can signal disruptions in the balance pathways.
• Different types of vestibular tests may be recommended depending on the patient’s symptoms. Videonystagmography tracks eye movements while the head and body are placed in specific positions, while rotational chair testing evaluates how the eyes respond to controlled spinning motions. Caloric testing stimulates the inner ear with warm or cool air or water to measure its function, and posturography examines how well a person maintains balance under changing surface and visual conditions. Together, these assessments provide a clear understanding of whether vertigo or imbalance stems from a vestibular disorder or another underlying medical issue.

After determining the cause, we come up with an effective and individualized treatment regimen. The treatment is dependent on the diagnosis:

• Repositioning Maneuvers: In the case of BPPV, our experts will carry out certain head repositions (such as the Epley maneuver) to assist the relocation of the crystals that have been pushed out.
• Medications: We can prescribe medicines to decrease dizziness, nausea, or inflammation.
• Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy: This is a special type of physical therapy that uses exercises to re-train your brain in order to adapt to issues with the inner ear so that you can restore your balance and lessen your dizziness.
• Lifestyle Changes: For conditions like vestibular migraine, we may recommend adjustments to your diet, stress management, and sleep hygiene.

Conclusion

If you are a woman who experiences dizziness or vertigo with no clear cause, it may seem confusing and frustrating to not be able to know the cause of these effects. The great news is that you do not have to go through it alone. We provide balance disorder management and diagnosis to women at NeuroEquilibrium and uncover the root cause of vertigo. Through proper assessment and individual care, you can take the initial steps to restoring stability and feeling like yourself again.