Can Vertigo Cause Headaches?
Vertigo is a symptom, not a cause, so by itself it does not necessarily cause headaches.
The question to be asking is,
What is causing my vertigo?
AND
Is the cause of my vertigo also causing headaches?
The answer could be yes!
Common conditions that could cause both vertigo AND headache:
Cervicogenic dizziness/headache
Vestibular migraines (although this type of migraine can often occur with no headache)
Concussion/Post Concussion Syndrome
CVA/stroke (medical emergency; headache is typically described as “worst headache of my life” and comes on suddenly)
Stress/anxiety
Low blood sugar
POTS or orthostatic intolerance
and others!
Sometimes the brain can get overwhelmed with processing sensory information after a disruption to the vestibular system and this can lead to a headache as well.
Some questions to ask yourself are, does the headache always come on with my vertigo? What triggers my headache? Are the triggers for my dizziness the same as the triggers for my headache?
If your headache comes on sequentially after your dizziness, I may look further into vestibular migraines as the culprit. It is good to note that presentations of migraines are varied and this is not a hard and fast rule.
If you are waking up with a headache and dizziness, consider cervicogenic dizziness/headache. Your neck posture while you sleep may be contributing to triggering your symptoms.
Sometimes dizziness and headache can be completely separate issues with different problems causing each one. Let’s say you are experience cervicogenic headaches but your dizziness is caused by vestibular migraines. They could certainly be inter-related, or the neck impairments could be triggering migraines, or they could be completely separate.
Try to track when you are getting each symptom and what causes each one. Be specific with tracking it and it will immensely help in leading you toward a correct diagnosis with your vestibular specialist!
