Vertigo is the sensation that you or your surroundings are spinning, even though you are still. Vertigo is a symptom, not a single disease.
When to seek emergency care: Sudden vertigo with facial droop, arm or leg weakness, new numbness, trouble speaking, double vision, inability to stand, a new severe headache, loss of consciousness, chest pain, or persistent vomiting needs urgent emergency assessment. Sudden hearing loss also needs prompt same-day care. Call 1122.
Vertigo and dizziness are not identical
People use "chakkar" for several sensations: spinning, light-headedness, weakness, imbalance or feeling close to fainting. True vertigo has an illusion of movement. Light-headedness can instead occur with dehydration, low blood pressure, low sugar, anaemia, heart-rhythm problems, anxiety or medicines. Describing the exact feeling and how long it lasts helps a clinician narrow the cause.
Common causes of spinning
- BPPV — brief attacks triggered by rolling in bed, looking up or moving the head
- Labyrinthitis or vestibular neuritis — more prolonged vertigo, often after a viral illness; labyrinthitis may include hearing change
- Ménière's disease — episodes with hearing loss, tinnitus or ear pressure
- Vestibular migraine — vertigo with or without a typical headache
- Medicines or neurological problems — less common but important possibilities
What to do during an episode
Sit or lie down immediately to avoid a fall. Move slowly, turn on a light if getting up at night, and hold a stable surface. Avoid driving, climbing, operating machinery or walking alone until the episode settles. Hydration can help if fluid loss is present, but it is not a cure for every cause.
Specific head-positioning manoeuvres can help confirmed BPPV, but a first or uncertain episode should be assessed before copying a random online manoeuvre — especially if there is neck or back disease. Anti-vertigo medicines may reduce symptoms briefly but can cause drowsiness and are not suitable for every cause.
How a doctor investigates it
The clinician asks about timing, triggers, ear symptoms, headache, medicines and stroke risk, then examines eye movements, balance, hearing and the nervous system. BPPV can often be identified at the bedside. Hearing tests, blood tests or imaging are used when the history or examination suggests they are needed — not automatically for every dizzy spell.
Which doctor should you see?
Start with a family physician for an initial assessment. An ENT specialist is a good fit when episodes include hearing loss, tinnitus or ear pressure. A neurologist is appropriate when migraine or neurological signs are suspected. Recurrent unexplained faintness may require heart or blood-pressure evaluation rather than an ear clinic.
Which specialist to see
SehatGPT routes ear-linked vertigo to ENT, migraine or nerve signs to neurology, and possible-stroke presentations to emergency care.
Frequently asked questions
Can vertigo come from cervical weakness?
Neck discomfort and dizziness can coexist, but many other causes are more common. A proper assessment should come before assuming "cervical vertigo."
Is vertigo always dangerous?
No. Inner-ear causes such as BPPV are common and treatable, but new neurological warning signs must be taken seriously.
Can I drive after vertigo?
Do not drive while dizzy or while taking a medicine that causes drowsiness. Resume only when it is safely controlled and medical advice permits.