What is vertigo and how is it treated?

Vertigo: Vertigo is one form of dizziness that is defined as a hallucination of movement or in other words, the patient experiences either movement of their body or their environment when it really is not happening.  Approximately two thirds of cases of vertigo are caused by disorders of the inner ear.  Most of these are mild and will subside in a matter of hours or days.  In more severe cases, there are medications that can be taken to suppress the vertigo but these will often cause drowsiness.  To determine the cause of vertigo, your ear nose and throat specialist will take a detailed history, perform a neurotologic exam and possibly order tests of the inner ear, blood work and imaging of the brain and inner ear.