Vertigo Symptoms: A Complete Guide for Patients

Vertigo is not the disease itself. It is a symptom that causes you to experience rotation, movement, or swaying even when you are not. This strange feeling happens due to issues in the body’s balance system, which depends on the inner ear, brain, eyes, and signals from muscles and joints.

Knowing the symptoms of vertigo can make you aware of what is to be expected, when to seek help, and what possible causes might be behind the dizziness.

General Vertigo Symptoms

People with vertigo may experience:

• Spinning sensation (true vertigo): Feeling as if you or the room is rotating.
• Dizziness or lightheadedness: Wooziness or the feeling of being about to faint, different from spinning vertigo.
• Unsteadiness or imbalance: Trouble standing or walking, fear of falling.
• Nausea and vomiting: Often linked to sudden episodes.
• Blurred vision or difficulty focusing: Eyes may not stabilize images during movement.
• Motion sickness: Sensitivity to travel or busy environments.
• Spatial disorientation: Trouble knowing which way is up or down.
• Headaches or neck pain: Often connected to migraines or muscle tension.
• Sensitivity to light and sound: Seen in vestibular migraines.
• Weakness or fatigue: Feeling drained during or after an episode.

Know More About Vertigo 

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

Vertigo Symptoms by Cause

a) Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

• Attacks that take less than a minute to spin.
• Activated by either lying down, turning in bed, bending, or glancing up.
• No ear ringing and normal hearing.
• Nausea or vomiting may occur.
• Brought about by small crystals of calcium that flow into the inner ear canals.

b) Cervical Vertigo (Dizziness with Neck Pain)

• The symptoms such as imbalance or lightheadedness are common and tend to be experienced especially when these symptoms are aggravated by the head and neck motion.
• May be related to whiplash, posture or tension headache.
• Attacks are sometimes accompanied by neck pain which may be overlapping with conditions such as vestibular migraine.

c) Peripheral Vertigo (Inner Ear Causes)

• Meniere’s Disease: Vertigo with fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear pressure.
• Vestibular Neuritis: Severe vertigo for days, usually without hearing loss.
• Labyrinthitis: Includes vertigo and hearing loss; needs urgent care.
• Otolithic Disorders: Cause imbalance and shaky vision.
• Perilymph Fistula: Small fluid leak leading to dizziness and hearing issues.
• Vestibular Paroxysmia: This is a sudden sporadic sense of dizziness due to the compression of a nerve by blood supply.
• Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence (SSCD): Sensation of weakness caused by loud sounds, coughing, sneezing.

d) Central Vertigo (Brain or Nerve Causes)

• Gradual onset, often with:
  • Weakness or numbness in limbs.
  • Slurred speech.
  • Double or blurred vision.
  • Severe headache or poor coordination.
• Causes include stroke, multiple sclerosis, tumors, and acoustic neuroma.
• Hydrocephalus can also cause imbalance and cognitive decline.

e) Gastric or Anxiety-Related Vertigo

• Vertigo is commonly accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
• PPPD (Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness) may be caused by anxiety.
• Vertigo may be increased by stress and fatigue.
• Vertigo may be confused with such conditions as low blood pressure, diabetes, anemia, or medication side effects.

f) Eye-Related Vertigo Symptoms

• Nystagmus: Jerky or uncontrolled eye movements.
• Blurred vision during movement: Linked to a weak vestibulo-ocular reflex.
• Double vision: May point to central causes like stroke or tumors.

Vertigo Attack Symptoms

When you are being attacked, you might suddenly experience the room spinning, loss of balance and difficulty in being focused. The most common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and a fear of falling. Some attacks last only a few seconds, while others can persist for hours or even days.

Causes and Connections

Vertigo can be linked to:

• BPPV, Meniere and neuritis are inner ear disorders.
• Causes related to the brain including stroke, migraine, and multiple sclerosis.
• Medical disorders such as anemia, diabetes, vitamin deficiencies and dehydration.
• Stress, anxiety or posture problems.

Treatment Options

• Repositioning maneuvers: Simple head and body movements for BPPV.
• Vestibular rehabilitation therapy: Exercises to retrain balance.
• Medications: For short-term relief or specific underlying conditions.
• Lifestyle: A low-salt diet for Ménière’s disease, which excludes stimulants associated with migraine, along with adequate hydration and a stress-free lifestyle.
• CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): It is useful in dizziness associated with anxiety and PPPD.

When to See a Doctor?

Consult a physician when vertigo is common, chronic and disruptive to daily routine. Immediate care is required in the event of:

• Acute loss of vision or blurred vision.
• Problem with speech or articulation.
• Weakness or numbness.
• Severe headache.
• Ringing or hearing loss in the ears.
• Loss of consciousness or chest pain.

NeuroEquilibrium: Your Partner in Vertigo Care

At NeuroEquilibrium, we understand how distressing vertigo symptoms can be. We offer sophisticated diagnostic tests in our clinics, which are more comprehensive than standard check-ups. We can identify the precise cause of your dizziness using such tools as videonystagmography (VNG), caloric testing, and vestibular evoked responses.

We also provide personalized treatment plans, including:

• Repositioning maneuvers performed with precision-guided equipment.
• Vestibular rehabilitation therapy tailored to your balance deficits.
• Technology-supported therapy, such as virtual reality-based exercises, to speed recovery.
• Medication guidance and follow-up for conditions like vestibular migraine, labyrinthitis, or Meniere’s.

In case you have been experiencing dizziness, spinning or imbalance, recovery begins with proper diagnosis.Call NeuroEquilibrium and get an appointment, and take the first step to live with balance and confidence.