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Vestibular Condition

Vertigo — the spinning that has a name.

Vertigo is a specific kind of dizziness — a false sense that you or your surroundings are spinning. It almost always comes from the inner ear or its connections, and the right diagnosis (BPPV, vestibular neuritis, Meniere's disease, vestibular migraine) leads to very different and very effective treatments.

Medical name Vertigo
Category Vestibular Condition
Common treatment Manoeuvres · VRT
In-clinic Vertigo care Vestibular Condition · Dr. Naseer's ENT

Overview

The balance organs in your inner ear send signals to the brain about head position and movement. Anything that disturbs those signals — displaced crystals, viral inflammation, fluid build-up, migraine — produces vertigo.

The single most common cause is BPPV, in which tiny calcium crystals fall into the wrong canal and trigger brief spins with head movement. A specific bedside manoeuvre (the Epley) resolves it in most people in a single session — yet many sufferers spend months on medication before someone tries it.

Symptoms

  • A spinning or whirling sensation
  • Spins triggered by head position (rolling in bed, looking up)
  • Nausea or vomiting during episodes
  • Unsteadiness between attacks
  • Hearing changes or tinnitus during attacks (Meniere's)

Common Causes

  • BPPV — displaced inner-ear crystals
  • Vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis (post-viral)
  • Meniere's disease — fluctuating fluid pressure in the inner ear
  • Vestibular migraine — increasingly recognised
  • Less commonly, central causes (brainstem or cerebellum)

Treatment Options

  • Epley and similar repositioning manoeuvres for BPPV
  • Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT)
  • Short-course vestibular suppressants during acute attacks
  • Diet and lifestyle changes for Meniere's (low salt, hydration)
  • Migraine prophylaxis for vestibular migraine

When to See an ENT

New-onset severe vertigo, vertigo with hearing loss, vertigo with neurological symptoms (weakness, slurred speech, severe headache, double vision), or repeated falls — see us promptly. Routine positional vertigo can usually be booked normally and we will aim to perform the manoeuvre at the first visit.

At Dr. Naseer's ENT, BPPV — the commonest culprit — is treated in-clinic in 10–15 minutes with the Epley manoeuvre, and the majority of patients leave symptom-free.

Concerned about Vertigo? Let's talk.