What are the symptoms of Vestibular Migraines?

Vestibular migraine symptoms can differ from person to person. The symptoms can last from a few minutes to several hours or even days. When I first started to experience headaches and migraines back in high school, I would easily get motion sick in vehicles. I needed to drink plenty of water and electrolytes like "Gatorade" to help ease my headaches or migraines. One day, my family and I were headed to church. We were on the freeway when, all of a sudden, I felt motion sickness and dizziness from riding in the car. This would happen from time to time, but not every day. The three most common symptoms for me were motion sickness, headache or migraine pains, and dizziness. My parents would give me some Tylenol and water to help with the symptoms. I would lay down to take a nap or go to bed early to get some rest. I would feel fine the next day or two, and the headache or migraine would be gone.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine (Vestibular Migraine | Johns Hopkins Medicine), please see below for the following symptoms of vestibular migraines.

• Vestibular migraines can involve combinations of the following symptoms:

  • Migraine headache symptoms, such as:

  • Severe, throbbing headache, usually on one side of the head

  • Nausea and vomiting

  • Sensitivity to light, smell, and noise

• Vestibular symptoms may include:

  • Vertigo (dizziness), usually lasting minutes to hours, but sometimes days

  • Unsteadiness and loss of balance

  • Sensitivity to motion

Although subjective hearing symptoms (ringing, fullness, pressure in one or both ears) are common, significant hearing loss should raise suspicion for an inner ear disorder such as Ménière’s disease.

With a vestibular migraine, a person may experience a combination of vestibular attacks, visual aura, or sensitivity to visual stimulation and motion at different times, and they can occur with or without an actual headache.

Throughout the years, my symptoms would come and go. In February 2020, I started to experience more migraines and other health issues, coinciding with COVID-19. Every time I went to the emergency room and got tested for COVID-19, the results would come back negative, and all of the tests would show normal results. I would receive an IV and a migraine cocktail at the hospital, after which I could go home to rest. For a while, this was a repetitive cycle. The symptoms during this time included migraines, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, fatigue, sensitivity to light and sound, ringing in my ears 24/7, and hearing loss that would come and go either before, during, or after the migraine attack. I didn't realize that this was vestibular migraines.

It wasn't until June 2023 that a new symptom appeared with my migraine episodes: vertigo. I experienced an off-balance feeling, the world spinning around me, dizziness, a swaying sensation as if I were on a boat, and the feeling of being buzzed or drunk when I was completely sober. I would have vertigo episodes sometimes without the migraines. Throughout June, I experienced vertigo every single day, with or without a migraine. That was a whirlwind experience. When I met with my neurologist that month, I was diagnosed with vestibular migraines. It took years to receive this diagnosis, but now I am more aware of the symptoms that can accompany this condition. In conclusion, if you've experienced any of these symptoms or other issues, please contact your physician or specialist. See you on the next Footprints Path with Love.