You have a headache, and on top of that, you feel like your head is spinning.
Having aheadacheor feeling dizzy can be unsettling on its own, and together theyre even more anxiety producing.
But identifying the source of your dizziness can help you find relief for your symptoms.
In medical terms, what exactly does it mean when we say we feel dizzy?
For example, does it happen when you get up suddenly from sitting or lying positions?
If anything improves your dizziness, keep track of that, too.
The word vestibular is used to describe the inner ear and a persons sense of balance.
When people complain of dizziness, its migraine-related about 50 percent of the time, she says.
One thing that seems specific for vestibular migraine isbrain fog.
Interestingly, vestibular migraine doesnt always come with a headache.
If it does, often the headache is not very severe, says Spears.
These post-trauma headaches can often come with dizziness.
It can happen when the little crystals in the semicircles of the ear, called otoconia, become dislodged.
This can bring on the symptoms of vertigo.
Headache is common in people with BPPV.Research has notedthat about one-third of people with BPPV reported headache.
Eating small, frequent meals should help stave off these symptoms.
An ischemic stroke is when the vessels supplying blood to the brain are obstructed.
Diagnosing and treating the headache is typically easier than treating the dizziness, says Spears.
Vestibular migraine is a diagnosis of exclusion, he says.
That means that other conditions that may be causing the dizziness must be ruled out first.
The Takeaway
Additional reporting byMadeline R. Vann, MPH.
Jessica Baity, MD, is a board-certified neurologist practicing in southern Louisiana.
Becky Upham has been professionally involved in health and wellness for almost 20 years.
Upham enjoys teaching cycling classes, running, reading fiction, and making playlists.
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