Vestibular Migraine: Symptoms, Triggers, and What Works

When you feel like the room is spinning, even when you’re sitting still, it might not be an ear infection or vertigo from BPPV—it could be vestibular migraine, a type of migraine that affects the inner ear and balance system, causing dizziness without always including a headache. Also known as migraine with vertigo, it’s one of the most common causes of recurring dizziness in adults, yet it’s often misdiagnosed as something else. Unlike regular migraines, you don’t need a pounding headache to have it. The dizziness can last minutes to days, and it often comes with nausea, sensitivity to motion, and trouble focusing. People with vestibular migraine might feel unsteady walking, especially in busy places like supermarkets or crowded streets.

This condition doesn’t just show up out of nowhere. It’s linked to the same brain pathways as regular migraines, but it involves the vestibular system, the part of the inner ear and brain that controls balance and spatial orientation. Also known as inner ear migraine, it’s triggered by the same things: stress, poor sleep, certain foods like aged cheese or processed meats, bright lights, and hormonal shifts. Many patients notice it flares up during their menstrual cycle or after a night of bad sleep. It’s not just "being dizzy"—it’s a neurological event that hijacks your sense of balance. If you’ve had migraines before, you’re more likely to develop vestibular migraine. And if you’ve been told it’s "just anxiety" or "stress," but your dizziness keeps coming back, you might be missing the real diagnosis.

What makes vestibular migraine tricky is that it overlaps with other conditions like Meniere’s disease or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). But here’s the difference: vestibular migraine episodes often come with visual changes, sensitivity to sound, or a throbbing headache later—while BPPV is triggered by head movements and lasts seconds, not hours. And unlike Meniere’s, it doesn’t usually cause lasting hearing loss. The good news? Treatments that work for migraines often help here too. Medications like beta-blockers, antidepressants, or anti-seizure drugs are used off-label. Lifestyle changes—like cutting out MSG, keeping a regular sleep schedule, and managing stress—can reduce attacks by half or more.

Below, you’ll find real comparisons and guides from people who’ve been there. You’ll see how drugs like vestibular migraine treatments stack up against each other, what supplements help with balance, how diet affects flare-ups, and what non-drug strategies actually work. No fluff. Just clear, practical info on what to try next.