Vertigo

Vertigo is a symptom rather than a single disease. It describes a false sense of spinning, tilting, rocking, or motion, often linked to the vestibular system in the inner ear and brain pathways that help control balance and eye movements. Common causes include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis, migraine-related vertigo, Ménière disease, medication effects, and less commonly stroke or other neurological disorders. This is why people sometimes use “dizziness” and “vertigo” interchangeably, even though vertigo is a more specific movement illusion.

Treatment options vary because the best approach depends heavily on the cause, duration, and pattern of symptoms. A brief spinning sensation triggered by rolling over in bed is managed differently from vertigo with hearing loss, new headache, fainting, chest symptoms, or neurological changes. In western care, options may include canalith repositioning maneuvers, vestibular rehabilitation, short-term symptom-relieving medicines, and condition-specific evaluation. In eastern medicine, approaches such as acupuncture and selected herbal traditions are used to address dizziness, nausea, stress reactivity, and recovery support, though the evidence base is more variable and often depends on the underlying diagnosis. Because vertigo can overlap with migraine, tinnitus, nausea, and anxiety, a careful assessment is often what most strongly shapes treatment selection.