​The presence of vertigo with nausea point to the inner ear as the likely cause of the problem. The three most common causes are Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, Acute Vestibulopathy and Meniere's.

​Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is caused by loose otoliths floating in the wrong place of the inner ear. It can occur spontaneously, from head trauma or from inner ear infections. Typically, patients will experience short spells of vertigo with head position change.

​Acute vestibulopathy is thought to be caused by a viral attack on the balance nerve. It occurs suddenly with severe spinning and nausea lasting from hours to days. It may take several days to resolve the dizziness.

​Dizziness is a common symptom that can be caused by many conditions. Often, it may be related to diseases of the inner ear.

Medical and surgical ear infection treatments

• Dr Ngo Yeow Seng Raymond