Vertigo and migraine

Vertigo can induce a migraine attack in migraine sufferers, according to a study published in Neurology.  In this study researchers induced vertigo in patients who had a history of migraines and in a control group.  Almost half of those who had a history of migraines developed a migraine attack within 24 hours, compared with only 5% of those who were not known to have migraines.  The study suggests that vertigo due to an inner ear problem can trigger a migraine attack.  This finding will not come as a surprise to migraine sufferers who cannot ride a roller coaster or even go on bumpy a car ride without getting a migraine.

At times, migraine sufferers develop vertigo as part of their migraine attack and it can be difficult to tell if vertigo caused the migraine or was just one of the symptoms.  A detailed description of more than one attack usually gives a clear answer.