Vestibular Migraine

Vestibular Migraine is a common cause of chronic episodic dizziness. The episodes of severe vertigo may occur at the same time as migraine-headaches, but sometimes the two may occur independently. There may be a trigger for the vertigo episodes, such as bright light, smells or stress. They can be brought on by movement. There is not often an association with hearing loss or tinnitus during the episodes of dizziness, unlike in Meniere’s disease. However, there can sometimes be an overlap between these two conditions in some patients.

Vestibular migraine does not have a specific test or investigation but the pattern of the dizziness episodes and a history of migraine are helpful for the diagnosis.

The treatment of vestibular migraine involves the same type of medical treatments that are used for chronic migraine headaches. Keeping a diary of triggers can help identify life-style changes such as avoiding certain foods.