Expert Names the Most Common Causes of Dizziness

The most common causes of dizziness include benign positional vertigo, vestibular migraine, Ménière’s disease, and persistent postural-perceptual dizziness, said Tula-based neurologist, manual therapist, and rehabilitation specialist Alexander Atyashev in an interview with RIA Novosti.

According to the neurologist, dizziness is not a diagnosis but a symptom, and its causes can vary widely and are not always serious.

“Indeed, dizziness can be a symptom of serious conditions such as stroke. However, statistically, life-threatening situations associated with dizziness are extremely rare. The most common causes of true dizziness are benign positional vertigo, vestibular migraine, Ménière’s disease, and persistent postural-perceptual dizziness,” Atyashev explained.

He noted that in benign positional vertigo, otoliths within the semicircular canals of the inner ear become displaced, causing the inner ear and brain to misinterpret whether a person has moved their head. This condition is treated not with medication but with special exercises, often resolved in a single session.

Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness, the specialist added, can be described as functional or anxiety-related dizziness. In this case, the brain incorrectly processes signals and fails to interpret information coming from the inner ear. It is most often associated with anxiety and is treated with various medications.

“Vestibular migraine is similar in cause to migraine with headache but differs in its symptoms, and it is treated by a neurologist. Ménière’s disease is a dysfunction of the inner ear caused by fluid buildup. This type of dizziness is less common and is almost always accompanied by tinnitus and hearing loss,” Atyashev concluded.