Vestibular Condition

Dizziness — often inner-ear, almost always treatable.

Dizziness covers a range of sensations — spinning, swaying, light-headedness, the feeling that the floor is moving. The first job is to work out which one you mean, because the causes differ. A careful history and a few in-clinic balance tests narrow it down quickly.

Medical name Dizziness / Light-headedness

Category Vestibular Condition

Common treatment Manoeuvres · VRT

Overview

True vertigo — a spinning sensation — usually comes from the inner ear. The most common single cause is BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), a brief spin triggered by head movement that is treated in minutes with a repositioning manoeuvre.

Light-headedness, by contrast, more often reflects blood-pressure changes, dehydration, or anxiety. Knowing which type you have is half the diagnosis.

Symptoms

A spinning or whirling sensation
Feeling unsteady, as if walking on a boat
Light-headedness, especially on standing up
Nausea or vomiting during episodes
Hearing changes or ringing during attacks (suggests Meniere's)

Common Causes

BPPV — displaced inner-ear crystals
Vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis (often post-viral)
Meniere's disease
Migraine-associated dizziness
Eustachian tube dysfunction or middle-ear pressure changes

Treatment Options

Epley manoeuvre and other particle-repositioning techniques for BPPV
Vestibular rehabilitation exercises
Short-course medication for acute attacks
Lifestyle and diet changes for Meniere's (low salt, hydration)
Treatment of underlying middle-ear or migraine factors

When to See an ENT

Sudden severe spinning, dizziness with hearing loss, dizziness with neurological symptoms (weakness, slurred speech, visual disturbance), or frequent falls should be assessed urgently. Most other forms of dizziness can be evaluated on a routine appointment.

At Dr. Naseer's ENT, we test the inner ear in-clinic and, for BPPV, can perform the Epley manoeuvre at the first visit — many patients walk out symptom-free.