Brain & Nervous System
Vertigo
A sensation that you or the room is moving or spinning, most commonly from an inner ear disorder — ginger and ginkgo are leading natural remedies.
Also known as: Dizziness, Balance disorder, tinnitus (definition: ringing or buzzing sound in the ears), nausea (definition: feeling of sickness or urge to vomit), anemia (definition: insufficient red blood cells)
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Inner ear disorder (labyrinthitis) — most common cause; Meniere's disease; High or low blood pressure.
First thing to try: CAUTION -- most vertigo is caused by an inner-ear problem, but sudden vertigo together with any of these warning signs can mean a stroke and is a medical emergency -- call your local emergency number: a severe or new-type headache, double or lost vision, slurred speech, facial droop, weakness or numbness, trouble walking, or fainting. See a doctor for vertigo that is severe, persistent, or comes with hearing loss or ear discharge. The positioning and rest measures below are supportive comfort only.
See a doctor if: Sudden severe vertigo, especially after head injury
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Inner ear disorder (labyrinthitis) — most common cause
- Meniere's disease
- High or low blood pressure
- Anemia
- VitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → B6 and niacin deficiency
- Ear infections or excess earwax
- Stress, anxiety, and nutritional deficiency
- Side effects of medications
Change what you can
- CAUTION -- most vertigo is caused by an inner-ear problem, but sudden vertigo together with any of these warning signs can mean a stroke and is a medical emergency -- call your local emergency number: a severe or new-type headache, double or lost vision, slurred speech, facial droop, weakness or numbness, trouble walking, or fainting. See a doctor for vertigo that is severe, persistent, or comes with hearing loss or ear discharge. The positioning and rest measures below are supportive comfort only.
- During an attack: sit in a chair with feet flat on the floor and stare at a fixed distant object.
- Restrict head movement during an attack; keep eyes fixed on a stationary point.
- Ginkgo biloba (ask your practitioner about the right amount for you) — prescribed for vertigo in Europe.
- Ginger: swallow 2 capsules 30 minutes before exposure to triggers — U.S. Navy research confirmed 38% reduction in dizziness.
- Niacin (B3), vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → B6 (ask your practitioner about the right amount for you), B1 (ask your practitioner about the right amount for you), and vitamin C (ask your practitioner about the right amount for you) and E (ask your practitioner about the right amount for you).
- Reduce sodium to under 2,000 mg per day — excess sodium disrupts the inner ear.
- Catnip teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → and celery seed help dizziness.
🌿 Then assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
★ Start here — our first-line pick, pinned for safety
The essential safety step during an attack - prevents falls.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Staying still and fixing the gaze gives the brain a steady visual reference while the inner-ear signals settle, easing the spinning and preventing falls.
- At the first spin, sit or lie down right away to avoid falling.
- Keep the head still and your eyes locked on one fixed, distant object.
- Breathe slowly and wait for the sensation to ease before moving.
- Rise slowly afterward, holding something steady.
Until the attack passes · As needed during attacks
Caution: Move slowly afterward; sudden head turns can restart the spin. Remove trip hazards at home to prevent falls.
When to get help: Vertigo with sudden severe headache, slurred speech, weakness, numbness, double vision, or trouble walking can signal a stroke - call emergency services now.
Source: Natural Remedies Encyclopedia 7th ed
Comments & experiences ▾
Also helps — ranked by the community (vote to reorder)
Reduces how often attacks are triggered.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Sudden head movements provoke the inner-ear disturbance; deliberate, slow transitions give the balance system time to keep up, reducing attacks.
- Rise from lying or sitting in slow stages, pausing between each.
- Turn the whole body rather than whipping the head around.
- Sleep with the head slightly raised on an extra pillow.
- Avoid bending sharply forward or tipping the head far back.
Ongoing · Daily
Caution: Make the home fall-safe with good lighting and clear floors.
When to get help: New neurological symptoms with vertigo need emergency evaluation.
Source: Natural Remedies Encyclopedia 7th ed
Comments & experiences ▾
Comfort aid for the nausea and dizziness; not a cure for the underlying cause.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Ginger has a long record of calming the nausea and dizziness of motion and balance upset; it settles the stomach and may dampen the dizzy sensation.
- Brew a cup of fresh ginger tea, or take ginger per the label.
- For known triggers (travel, certain motions), take it about 30 minutes beforehand.
- Sip slowly, especially if nausea accompanies the vertigo.
- Use as an as-needed comfort measure.
As needed · Up to a few times daily
Caution: Ginger can thin the blood slightly - check with a doctor if on blood thinners or before surgery. Does not treat the underlying inner-ear or other cause.
When to get help: Persistent or severe vertigo, or any stroke warning signs, needs medical care.
Source: Natural Remedies Encyclopedia 7th ed
Comments & experiences ▾
Especially helpful for inner-ear (Meniere's-type) vertigo.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Dehydration and excess salt, caffeine, and alcohol can disturb inner-ear fluid balance (as in Meniere's); steadying these often lessens attacks.
- Drink water steadily through the day to stay well hydrated.
- Cut back on salty foods, which can worsen inner-ear fluid pressure.
- Limit caffeine and alcohol, common vertigo triggers.
- Note your personal triggers and avoid them.
Ongoing · Daily
Caution: If you take medication affecting fluid or salt, follow your doctor's guidance.
When to get help: Not an emergency, but persistent vertigo deserves a medical diagnosis.
Source: Natural Remedies Encyclopedia 7th ed
Comments & experiences ▾
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them. Not medical advice.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- Sudden severe vertigo, especially after head injury
- Vertigo with numbness, weakness, or speech problems (possible stroke)
- Persistent or worsening vertigo
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your vertigo — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
Vertigo is dizziness with a spinning sensation, usually caused by impaired balance mechanisms in the inner ear. It may also arise from anemia, blood pressure problems, nutritional deficiencies, or infections. Ginkgo and ginger are the leading evidence-supported natural remedies.
Vertigo is more than simple dizziness — it is the false sensation of movement or spinning. It can be caused by inner ear disorders, anemia, high or low blood pressure, vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → B6 or niacin deficiency, or viral infection. Ginkgo is prescribed in Europe for vertigo; ginger was found by U.S. Navy research to reduce dizziness by 38%.
Common signs
- Spinning sensation (room or self appears to move)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of balance
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Perspiration and headache
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
Stay well hydrated, since dehydration can bring on or worsen dizziness.1000
Rest and move slowly when changing position; sudden movements set off the spinning.970
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. Not medical advice. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Favor these
- Balanced, nutritious diet with full B-complex vitamins
- Anti-inflammatory plant foods
- Celery and ginger
- Adequate hydration
Go easy on
- Excess sodium — disrupts inner ear function
- Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine
- Fried foods and junk food
A low-sodium, B-vitamin-rich diet supports inner ear and nervous system health.
⚖️ Good to know
- Dizziness can be a warning sign of an impending heart attack or stroke.
- Sudden, severe vertigo after a head injury needs immediate evaluation.
- Chronic vertigo warrants professional investigation.
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Treatment depends on the cause; the common inner-ear type often responds to repositioning maneuvers.
Commonly offered
- The Epley (canalith repositioning) maneuver for BPPV — the most common cause–
- Vestibular rehabilitation exercises–
- Short-term medication (meclizine) for acute severe spinning–
- Treating underlying causes (infection, Menière's, medications)–
Worth knowing
- Vertigo with severe headache, weakness, slurred speech, or double vision could be a stroke — emergency.
- Anti-vertigo medications are for short-term use; prolonged use slows recovery.
- Recurrent vertigo deserves a proper diagnosis.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📜 A note from history
Ginger has been used by sailors for seasickness for thousands of years. U.S. Navy research confirmed its effectiveness. Ginkgo biloba for vertigo has been prescribed in Europe for decades.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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