People use the word dizzy for many different feelings. Doctors find it helps to separate them, because each one points in a different direction. This article explains the main kinds in plain words.
Vertigo
Vertigo is the feeling that you, or the room around you, are moving when nothing is. Most often it feels like spinning. It can also feel like tilting, swaying or being pulled to one side. In VertigoMe, an episode of this is called a spin.
Vertigo is a symptom, not a condition. It usually comes from the vestibular system, the balance organs in the inner ear and the nerves and brain areas that read their signals. Something has upset the messages about where your head is and how it is moving.
Other kinds of dizziness
- Light-headedness. A faint, woozy feeling, as if you might pass out. This is often linked to blood pressure, blood sugar, dehydration or the heart, rather than the inner ear.
- Imbalance or unsteadiness. Feeling wobbly on your feet, especially when walking, without the room moving.
- A rocking or bobbing feeling. Like being on a boat after you have stepped off. This is typical of a condition called MdDS.
- A swimmy, heavy or "not quite right" head. Common in PPPD and after a vestibular illness.
Many people have more than one of these at different times.
What often comes with vertigo
- Nausea or vomiting
- Feeling off-balance or needing to hold on to something
- Jerky eye movements called nystagmus, which other people may notice
- Hearing changes, ringing (tinnitus) or a full feeling in one ear, in some conditions
- Tiredness and a foggy head afterwards
Why the details matter
When you see a doctor, three questions help most:
- How long does each spin last? Seconds, minutes, hours or days?
- What sets it off? A change of head position, a busy environment, nothing at all?
- What else happens? Hearing changes, headache, sensitivity to light, numbness or weakness?
These details are exactly what VertigoMe helps you record, so you can show a clear picture at your appointment instead of trying to remember.
Common causes
Some of the most common vestibular causes are BPPV, vestibular migraine, Meniere's disease, vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis. Longer-lasting dizziness can be PPPD or MdDS. Each has its own article in this section.
Some causes need urgent care, especially when vertigo comes with signs of a problem in the brain. See When to see a doctor about vertigo.
This is general information only. It cannot tell you what is causing your symptoms. Please speak to your GP, ENT, neurologist or audiologist about your own situation.
