When Vertigo and Migraines Occur at the Same Time

Unknown to some people seeking vertigo relief in Wapakoneta, they suffer from vestibular migraines (also called migraine-associated vertigo). In short, they have episodes of vertigo with migraine symptoms occurring at the same time. It is common in people with motion sickness.

The American Migraine Foundation reported that about 30 to 50% of people with migraines deal with vertigo, general dizziness, and loss of balance amid their headaches. Vestibular migraines can be too overwhelming to experience. The spinning sensation of vertigo can leave someone bedbound for a couple of hours, let alone a migraine episode.

If you get vertigo and migraines attacks, you likely have vestibular migraines even if they do not hit you at once.

Can You Really Have Vertigo with Migraine Symptoms?

Vertigo is the false feeling of spinning or movement. If you have it, you may feel your body or your surroundings rotating during an attack. On the other hand, migraine is a neurological disorder known to cause a severe headache.

To answer the question, yes, you may have vertigo and migraines simultaneously, which is the case for vestibular migraineurs. They deal with vertigo and other vestibular symptoms, whether they have migraine headaches or not.

Some of the vestibular symptoms they live through include motion sensitivity, loss of balance, and unsteadiness. They may feel unsteady in their legs when they walk or having sea legs, as if the floor beneath is moving.

In addition, they also get migraine symptoms such as the following:

• Head pain – unilateral headache (but can also be bilateral) that can be moderate or severe, throbbing or pulsating sensation in the sinuses or behind one eye
• Aura – visual disturbances such as blind spots, blurred vision, or wavy lines
• Oversensitivity to light, touch, sound, and smells
• Nausea or vomiting
• Tinnitus – ringing or roaring noise in the ears

These symptoms can last anywhere between 5 minutes and 3 days. However, they could also persist for several weeks or months.

Are Vestibular Migraines Severe?

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and Meniere’s disease are two vertigo conditions that involve consistent severe attacks. However, episodes of vertigo that accompany vestibular migraines can alter in severity. They can fluctuate between mild, moderate, and severe. For this reason, vertigo relief in Wapakoneta can be challenging to achieve.

Do Migraine Triggers Make Vertigo Worse?

A sign that you are dealing with vestibular migraines is when your vertigo attacks get worse after subjecting yourself to migraine triggers, including:

• Hormonal – women during their menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause because of their fluctuating hormonal levels
• Environmental – shifting weather conditions such as extreme hot or cold temperature, storms, barometric pressure, and humidity levels. In addition, strong odors from perfumes, chemicals, and soaps, or going from indoors to outside in the sun
• Behavioral – changes in the wake-sleep cycle, highly stressful situations or the “let-down” that follows a tense situation, changes in an exercise routine, becoming very upset or crying
• Dietary – some foods or drinks can make your vestibular migraines much worse:
  • Tyramine-rich foods – Preserved, aged, smoked, and pickled foods like meats and cheeses
  • Aspartame
  • Chocolate
  • Caffeine
  • Alcohol
  • Red wine
  • MSG
  • Food dyes

Keeping a journal and jotting down your daily activities such as the food you eat, exercises you do, the weather, and your stress level can offer some evidence of whether your vertigo or migraines share a connection.

More About Vertigo and Vestibular Migraines

While the link between and methods by which migraines, vertigo, and vestibular disorders happen remains unclear, their connections are much more than coincidence.

In a study of 200 participants, vertigo patients had a 38% higher prevalence of experiencing migraines than those without vertigo. Vertigo attacks began in up to 50% of all migraineurs either before, during, or after the head pain. In short, it was a common problem.

An important thing to know before looking for vertigo relief in Wapakoneta is how the body remains balanced. We keep our sense of balance through the combined forces of several organs, including the vestibular system. In our ears are the components that detect linear movement, rotation, and gravity. The inner ear has semicircular canals, and they are filled with fluid that responds to your actions and body position. Your eyes, joints, and muscles also dictate the brain about the body’s position and the adjustments necessary for you to keep your balance.

If something disrupts these elements, it will result in miscommunication between the brain and the vestibular system. As a result, false or inconsistent information may reach the brain, potentially causing vertigo.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic & Vertigo Relief in Wapakoneta

Upper cervical chiropractic care focuses on the two uppermost bones in the spine, the complexity of their position, and how the central nervous system suffers if they misalign. Disruption in the communication between the brain and the body can affect vestibular function, and as a result, bring about vertigo or migraine symptoms.

The atlas and axis bones are brainstem protectors, and they sit very near the components of the inner ear. These facts tell why a misalignment in the upper cervical spine contributes to the development or progression of vertigo and migraines.

Tranquility Spinal Care in Wapakoneta, OH, offers upper cervical chiropractic care, a very gentle and accurate technique. We make specific adjustments using x-rays and precise measurements to help patients with their conditions. We do this so each of our patients receives customized adjustments that fit their cases and needs. Therefore, the adjustments are effective and can hold for a long. They work so well and a reliable source of vertigo relief in Wapakoneta.

You can be just a few adjustments away from resolving your vertigo and migraines. Fill out our contact form or call us at (419) 573-0638 to start your adjustments with our upper cervical chiropractor.

To schedule a consultation, call our Wapakoneta office at (419) 573-0638. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.