What are the symptoms and causes of vertigo?

Not Medical Advice: Vertigo (the feeling that you or your surroundings are moving and/or spinning) is often caused by problems in the inner ear or brain. Head movement, inner ear inflammation, Meniere's disease, nerve tissue tumors, decrease of blood flow to the base of the brain, onset of multiple sclerosis, migraine headaches, head trauma or neck injury (especially whiplash injury), and arteriosclerosis as a result of complications from diabetes are known regular causes of vertigo.

Vertigo is different from dizziness because vertigo relates to an illusion of movement. Subjective vertigo is when you feel that your body is moving, but it isn't; objective vertigo is the perception that the environment around you is moving.

The most common symptom of true vertigo is the sensation of motion or disorientation. Other common symptoms of vertigo are sweating, nausea or vomiting, and abnormal eye movements. An afflicted person may also experience hearing loss, ringing in the ears, weakness, difficulty speaking or walking, visual disturbances, and/or decreased consciousness.

Symptoms may last minutes or hours, and may be episodic or constant. Vertigo symptoms may occur due to a change in position or movement. We recommend you see a physician if experiencing symptoms of vertigo.