Vertigo attacks can occur without any obvious triggers – this is the case with e.g. Menière's disease, certain cardiovascular problems or migraines. In many cases, however, triggers for vertigo can be identified clearly:

• If certain head movements, e.g. when turning in bed or looking up, make you dizzy might be indicative of a benign positional vertigo.

• If getting up from a sitting or reclined position triggers a vertigo attack, a physician might consider orthostatic vertigo – a response to a drop in blood pressure when shifting into in an upright position.

• If e.g. car rides or boat trips trigger vertigo, it usually is a case of kinetosis, commonly called "motion sickness". It is often accompanied with nausea and vomiting.

• Psychogenic or somatoform vertigo attacks (stress vertigo) are triggered by certain social situations, such as conflicts in relationships or certain stress settings in the work place.

Not only can certain movements or situations trigger vertigo. It can also occur as accompanying symptoms of various other diseases. Therefore, it is always important to discuss vertigo symptoms with your physician.