Information sheet about Vertigo
Read on to find out more about vertigo and dizziness

Vertigo is a specific type of dizziness that may indicate a serious balance disorder. Vertigo is characterized by the sensation of spinning or swaying while the body is still stationary. The body typically undergoes a distinct sensation that the body is in movement with the eyes closed; this sensation is called subjective vertigo. However, if the eyes are open, the surroundings will appear to move as well; this is called objective vertigo. Although the effects of vertigo may be slight, it may cause nausea and vomiting or, if severe, may give rise to difficulty with standing and walking.
Causes of Vertigo
Vertigo is usually symptomatic of an inner ear imbalance in the brain, or a problem in the nerve connections in this part of the brain. The most common cause of vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, although vertigo can also be a symptom of an underlying serious problem. Other serious causes of vertigo include drug toxicities (specifically gentamicin), and strokes or tumors.
Vertigo may also be brought on suddenly through various actions or incidents, such as brain trauma, skull fractures, sudden changes of blood pressure, or as a symptom of motion sickness while riding a roller coaster, vehicle, or boat.
Vertigo is divided into two categories depending on the location of the damaged nerve pathway. The two categories are known as peripheral or central vertigo. Each category has its own set of characteristics and symptoms.
Peripheral vertigo
In this type of vertigo, the damaged areas or lesions affect the inner ear or the vestibular division of the auditory nerve. Vertigo that is peripheral in origin tends to be felt as more severe than central vertigo, intermittent in timing, and is associated with a loss of hearing or a ringing in the ears. Peripheral vertigo may be caused by many factors including labyrinthitis, Ménière's disease, perilymphatic fistula or acute vestibular neuronitis. Peripheral vertigo, compared to the central type, is usually derived from a less serious cause.
Central vertigo
The lesions in central vertigo are centered in the brainstem vestibular nerve nuclei. Central vertigo is typically described as constant in timing, less severe in nature and occasionally with multi-directional nystagmus. Associated symptoms include motor or sensory deficits, dysarthria (slurred speech) or ataxia. Causes may include factors such as migraines, multiple sclerosis, posterior fossa tumors, and Arnold-Chiari malformation. Less commonly, strokes, seizures, trauma, or infection might be the cause of this form of vertigo.
Vertigo & the cervical spine
In rare cases, ligament injuries of the upper cervical spine may result in head-neck-joint instabilities which can cause vertigo. The head neck joint is affected by rupture or overstretching of the alar ligaments and/or capsule structures mostly caused by whiplash. Professionals should think about ligamental damage of head-neck-joint structures if patients describe prolonged vertigo after a whiplash trauma.