What Is Vertigo?
Vertigo is a sensation that everything around you is spinning or moving, which is usually caused by a problem in the inner ear, but can also be caused by vision problems. People with vertigo commonly feel things are moving when they are standing completely still and everything around them is still.

Vertigo is medically different from dizziness, lightheadedness, and unsteadiness. Lay people commonly use the terms dizziness and vertigo indistinctly. If this happens, it is important for a doctor to determine exactly what the patient is trying to describe.

Doctors say that vertigo is more severe than dizziness, which commonly happens when a person stands up and feels light-headed. People with vertigo may find it harder to move around because the spinning sensation tends to affect balance.

"Vertigo" is often used, incorrectly, to describe the fear of heights, but the correct term for this is acrophobia. The medical term vertigo can occur at any time and may last for days, weeks, months, and even years, while acrophobia symptoms only occur only when the person is high up and looking down. However, vertigo is so commonly used 'incorrectly' by lay people that it would be naive today to say it only has one meaning.

What are the symptoms of vertigo?
The patient may feel that his/her surroundings seem to be moving either vertically or horizontally. There may also be a sensation of spinning. Sometimes the feeling may be so slight that it is hardly noticeable. However, for some people the severity of symptoms makes it hard to keep balance and carry out everyday tasks.

A bout of vertigo can last from a few minutes to several days, and sometimes much longer. The following symptoms are possible:

A sensation that everything around you is moving or spinning
Loss of balance
Nausea
Vomiting
Light-headedness
Problems walking properly
Problems standing still properly
Blurred vision
Earache

What are the causes of vertigo?
The vertigo can be caused by a problem with the balance mechanisms of the inner ear, a problem with the brain, or a problem with the nerves that connect the brain to the middle ear.
 

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