Vertigo: Causes, Types, and When to Seek Medical Attention

Vertigo is a sensation of spinning that sometimes is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. There are two types of vertigo: peripheral, originating in the inner ear, and central, originating within the brain itself. Vertigo can be dangerous, depending on when it happens and what causes it.

Multiple Sclerosis

• Vertigo is a symptom of multiple sclerosis and, in such cases, is the result of cranial-nerve damage or lesions in the brain.

Tumor

• A tumor pressing on a nerve can cause peripheral vertigo. These tumors usually are not malignant.

Head Injury

• In cases of closed-head injury, when someone's head is struck without fracturing the skull, vertigo is a sign that there could be a serious injury.

Heights

• Heights can be dangerous.

  Because you can lose your balance and might not be able to see properly, an attack of vertigo while you are high up on a ladder or on a roof is a danger.

Driving

• Pull over if you start to feel an attack.

  An attack of vertigo while driving can be fatal. Find a place to park or pull off to the side of the road at the first sign of an attack.

Treatment

• Talk to your doctor to determine the cause of your vertigo. Treatments are available for many of the conditions that cause it.