Vertigo and Migraine: Causes, Triggers, and What Actually Helps

When you feel the room spin, or your head pounds so hard you can’t stand the light, it’s easy to assume it’s just a bad headache or a touch of vertigo. But vertigo, a sensation of spinning or movement when you’re still, often tied to inner ear or brain signal issues. Also known as dizziness, it’s not just a side effect—it’s a symptom with real roots in neurological function. Many people don’t realize that migraine, a neurological disorder causing severe headaches, nausea, and sensitivity to light or sound. Also known as migraine headache, it’s more than just a bad headache—it’s a whole-body event. These two conditions don’t just happen side by side; they often feed into each other. In fact, up to half of people with chronic migraines also report episodes of vertigo. This isn’t coincidence—it’s called vestibular migraine, and it’s one of the most common but misunderstood links between head pain and dizziness.

What makes this even trickier is that vertigo from migraine doesn’t always come with a headache. You might feel dizzy for hours, nauseous, and overwhelmed by noise or movement, but your head might not hurt at all. That’s why so many people end up seeing ear specialists, only to be told "it’s nothing"—when the real culprit is in the brain’s wiring. Triggers like stress, skipped meals, bright lights, or even certain foods (aged cheese, MSG, caffeine withdrawal) can set off both migraine and vertigo attacks. Sleep disruption? That’s a double trigger. Hormonal shifts? They’re a known link, especially in women. And here’s the kicker: treating the migraine often reduces the vertigo, not the other way around.

That’s why the posts below focus on what actually works—not just what’s commonly prescribed. You’ll find clear breakdowns of how medications like metoclopramide can worsen dizziness in some people, why certain anti-nausea drugs are risky if you’re prone to migraines, and how hydration and electrolyte balance play a hidden role in both conditions. You’ll also see how drug interactions, like those between diuretics and inner ear fluid, can accidentally trigger vertigo. This isn’t about guessing. It’s about connecting the dots between what you feel, what you take, and what’s really happening inside your body.