Vertigo

A person with vertigo will have a sense of spinning dizziness. Vertigo is a symptom of a range of conditions. It can happen when there is a problem with the inner ear, brain, or sensory nerve pathway.
Dizziness, including vertigo, can happen at any age, but it is common in people aged 65 yearsTrusted Source or over.
Vertigo can be temporary or long-term. It can occur during pregnancy or as a symptom of an ear infection. People with an inner ear disorder, such as Ménière’s disease, sometimes also experience vertigo.

Vertigo is a sensation of spinning dizziness, as though the room or surrounding environment is spinning in circles around the person. Many people use the term to describe a fear of heights, but this is not correct.

Vertigo can happen when a person looks down from a great height, but it usually refers to any temporary or ongoing spells of dizziness that occur due to problems in the inner ear or brain.
It is not an illness but a symptom. Many different conditions can cause vertigo.

Symptoms

A person with vertigo will feel as though their head or the space around them is moving or spinning.
Vertigo is a symptom, but it can lead to or occur alongside other symptoms, too.

These may include:

  • balance problems
  • lightheadedness
  • a sense of motion sickness
  • nausea and vomiting
  • ringing in the ear, called tinnitus
  • a feeling of fullness in the ear
  • headaches
  • nystagmus, in which the eyes move uncontrollably, usually from side to side