What Causes Vestibular Migraines?

Migraines are one of the most common medical issues in the United States. However, there’s still a lot of confusion and misinformation surrounding migraines. For example, did you know that there’s a type of migraine that often does not involve a headache at all? What causes vestibular migraines, and what can you do about them?

What Causes Vestibular Migraines?

About one in ten adults in the United States report regularly experiencing migraines. A quarter of those people experience dizziness and vertigo alongside their headaches. If you have experienced unexplained bouts of dizziness, you might assume you’re not having a migraine if it isn’t accompanied by a headache. What you actually might be experiencing is a vestibular migraine. But what causes vestibular migraines, and how do you know if you’re having one?

Migraines Aren’t Always Headaches

Migraines are associated with headaches, but a headache isn’t what makes something a migraine. This is because a migraine is not just a headache. It’s a period of time where your brain is more sensitive to outside stimuli, such as noise and light. Headaches can result, but they may not. 

Vestibular migraines are a type of migraine where a headache is rare, but the other symptoms are very real. Your vestibular system is the system of nerves and organs in your head that help your body maintain balance. When something throws this system out of balance, the result can be dizziness, vertigo, and nausea. These are the symptoms that make up a typical vestibular migraine.

The causes of vestibular migraines aren’t entirely clear. Doctors believe they are caused by misfiring neurons in the brain related to the vestibular system. Vestibular migraines usually do occur in those who have a history of migraine headaches. Vestibular migraines are also common among those who regularly experience motion sickness, and these two conditions can produce similar symptoms. Traditional migraine headache triggers can also trigger vestibular migraines, and the conditions can happen concurrently. This is why it can be difficult for vestibular migraine sufferers to disentangle that condition from migraine headaches.

How Do I Know If I Have Vestibular Migraines?

If you regularly experience vertigo and dizziness, you may be suffering from vestibular migraines. Here are the warning signs to look out for:

• Dizziness, nausea, and vertigo occurring independently of migraine headaches
• Unexplained vomiting and nausea issues
• Problems with balance and coordination, even when migraines are not occurring
• Extreme sensitivity to motion, resulting in nausea
• The feeling that you’re in a “rocking boat,” or slowly swaying while you’re holding still
• Sensitivity to sound, light, and other migraine triggers
• Periods of disorientation or confusion

If these symptoms sound familiar to you, you should consult with a medical professional who specializes in treating vestibular migraines. 

Is There a Cure?

Since we aren’t sure what causes vestibular migraines, you may be concerned that there is not an effective way to deal with them. Luckily, there are strategies that can help vestibular migraine sufferers. One of the first things many doctors recommend is lifestyle changes. Keeping track of migraine headache triggers, and seeing if and when vestibular migraines accompany them, can be key to initially controlling the issue.

Once your vestibular migraines are under control, a doctor can help you make a long-term plan to manage them. Doctors can provide advice on changing diets, sleeping schedules, and other minor adjustments. There are medications that can be helpful, especially with unpleasant physical symptoms like nausea. There is also a treatment option called vestibular therapy, which focuses on physical therapy and balance exercises to help mitigate the effects of vestibular migraines. One of these treatment options, or the right combination of them, can help you get your life back in balance. 

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Are you experiencing frustrating vestibular migraines? Reach out to the professionals at the National Dizzy & Balance Center. We specialize in diagnosing and treating vestibular disorders, including vestibular migraines, concussions, and ongoing dizziness. To learn more about our approach, please contact us online or by phone. Or if you’re ready to get started, schedule your free medical consultation today.