Stroke
Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and it can lead to various health problems, including vertigo. The symptoms of vertigo include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and an overall sensation of spinning even though you’re standing still. While anyone can experience vertigo at any time, it’s especially common in people who have had strokes or are experiencing dizziness due to another medical condition. For example, a stroke can affect the inner ear and trigger vertigo by causing damage to the area called the labyrinth.
Cerebellar strokes usually affect one side of the brain or the other, and they can either be in one hemisphere or both hemispheres of the cerebellum. A cerebellar stroke will cause loss of control over eye movements and dizziness that worsens on looking down or turning the head to look behind oneself. This loss of eye movement control resembles vestibular neuronitis—a temporary condition causing dizziness, nausea, and vomiting due to inflammation of the vestibular nerve. It occurs due to damage to motor neurons in the cerebellum that transmits information from neurons in the vestibular system to muscles involved in eye movement control.
