Vertigo Symptoms: Causes, Triggers, and What to Do

When you feel like the room is spinning, even when you’re standing still, you’re not just dizzy—you’re experiencing vertigo, a type of dizziness caused by problems in the inner ear or brain that affect balance. Also known as spinning dizziness, it’s not just feeling lightheaded. It’s a sudden, intense sensation that can make you nauseous, unsteady, or even vomit. Unlike regular dizziness, vertigo often comes with a spinning or tilting feeling, like you’re on a boat even when you’re on solid ground.

Vertigo symptoms usually point to something wrong with your inner ear, the part of your ear responsible for balance and spatial orientation. This is where conditions like vestibular disorders show up. For example, Meniere's disease, a chronic inner ear condition that causes episodes of vertigo, ringing in the ears, and hearing loss, often triggers long-lasting vertigo attacks. Inner ear infections, like labyrinthitis or vestibular neuritis, can also suddenly cause vertigo by inflaming the nerves that send balance signals to your brain. These aren’t just minor annoyances—they can knock you off your feet for hours or even days.

What makes vertigo tricky is that it doesn’t always come alone. You might feel nausea, ringing in your ears, trouble focusing your eyes, or even hearing changes during an episode. Some people get vertigo after a head injury, while others notice it after lying down or turning over in bed—that’s often benign positional vertigo, the most common type. The triggers vary, but the effect is always the same: your brain gets mixed signals about where your body is in space. That’s why treatments focus on fixing the root cause, not just masking the feeling.

You’ll find real stories and clear advice in the posts below. Some cover how inner ear infections mimic or worsen vertigo. Others explain how Meniere’s disease unfolds over time, what treatments actually help, and when to see a doctor instead of waiting it out. You’ll also see comparisons between medications used for balance disorders and how lifestyle changes can reduce how often attacks hit. This isn’t guesswork—it’s what people who’ve lived with vertigo have learned through trial, error, and medical guidance. Whether you’re dealing with your first episode or trying to manage recurring attacks, the information here is practical, direct, and built around real experiences.