Vertigo is most often caused by a problem in the inner ear, where shifted crystals, fluid changes, or inflammation send your brain false signals that you or the room is spinning.
The pattern points to the cause: seconds of spinning when you roll over or look up fits benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, while days of constant spinning after a cold fits vestibular neuritis. Vertigo paired with hearing loss, ear ringing, or ear fullness suggests Meniere disease, and spinning with light sensitivity or headache suggests vestibular migraine. A smaller share of cases comes from the brain, including stroke, and those usually bring double vision, slurred speech, weakness, numbness, or trouble walking. Some medicines, including certain blood pressure drugs, sedatives, and high-dose aspirin, can add to the spinning feeling. Move slowly when you get up, keep hydrated, sleep with your head slightly raised, and sit or lie down as soon as an episode starts.
How to stop the spinning
Common questions
what causes vertigo
Most vertigo starts in the inner ear. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo happens when tiny calcium crystals shift into a balance canal, causing brief spinning with head movement. Vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis follow a viral infection and cause days of constant spinning. Meniere disease brings vertigo with hearing loss, ringing, and ear fullness. Vestibular migraine causes spinning with or without headache. Less often, vertigo comes from a stroke or another brain problem, especially when it arrives with double vision, slurred speech, weakness, numbness, or trouble walking. Sudden vertigo with any of those signs needs emergency care.