Vertigo
Overview
Vertigo often gets better without treatment. See a GP if it keeps coming back or is affecting your daily life.
Symptoms
Vertigo feels like you or everything around you is spinning – enough to affect your balance. It's more than just feelingdizzy. A vertigo attack can last from a few seconds to hours. If you have severe vertigo, it can last for many days or months.
Causes
Inner ear problems, which affect balance, are the most common causes of vertigo. These include: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) – where specific head movements cause vertigolabyrinthitis– an inner ear infection caused by a cold or flu virusvestibular neuritis– inflammation of the vestibular nerveMénière's disease– a rare inner ear condition, which sometimes involves ringing in the ear (tinnitus) or loss of hearing Other things that can cause vertigo include: migrainesome types of medicine – check the leaflet to see if it's listed as a side effect Sometimes the cause is unknown.
Treatment
Most people with vertigo get better without treatment. Treatment will depend on the cause. A GP might prescribeantibioticsif it's caused by an infection. You could also be given exercises to do to try to correct your balance. Antihistaminescan sometimes help with vertigo symptoms.
Prevention
Get up slowly; Avoid sudden head movements.
When to see a doctor
See GP if: persistent/recurrent vertigo.