A person with vertigo will have a sense that their head, or their surrounding environment, is moving or spinning.

Vertigo can be a symptom of other conditions, and it can also have its own set of related symptoms. These include:

  • balance problems and lightheadedness
  • a sense of motion sickness
  • nausea and vomiting
  • tinnitus
  • a feeling of fullness in the ear
  • headache

Vertigo is commonly caused by a problem with the way balance works in the inner ear, although it can also be caused by problems in certain parts of the brain. Other causes of vertigo may include:

  • benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) – where certain head movements trigger vertigo
  • migraines – severe headaches
  • labyrinthitis – an inner ear infection
  • vestibular neuronitis – inflammation of the vestibular nerve, which runs into the inner ear and sends messages to the brain that help to control balance
  • Depending on the condition causing vertigo, you may experience additional symptoms, such as a high temperature, ringing in your ears (tinnitus) and hearing loss.