What should you know about vertigo during period?

Changes around menstruation can overlap with migraine symptoms, cramps, poor sleep, reduced food or fluid intake, and heavier bleeding. These factors may cause light-headedness or make an existing balance problem harder to tolerate. Migraine can include vertigo with or without a prominent headache. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo may instead follow head movement, and Meniere's Disease or Middle Ear Infection may cause ear symptoms. Track whether the spinning starts before, during, or after bleeding; whether it follows standing or turning; and whether headache, visual sensitivity, ringing, hearing change, or nausea appears.

Sit or lie down when spinning begins and rise slowly. Keep water available and eat regular meals if you can. Use a heat pack or your usual period-pain plan only as directed, and check with a clinician or pharmacist before adding medicines. Avoid driving while dizzy. Keep a cycle and symptom diary that includes bleeding heaviness, pain, sleep, food, fluids, medicines, posture, and duration. A clinician may examine your ears, balance, blood pressure, or blood count depending on the pattern. Do not perform an Epley Manoeuvre unless positional vertigo has been assessed and the manoeuvre is suitable.

Seek emergency help for fainting, one-sided weakness or numbness, trouble speaking, severe new headache, chest pain, or inability to walk. Arrange urgent assessment for very heavy bleeding with weakness or breathlessness, repeated vomiting, sudden hearing loss, severe pelvic pain, or possible pregnancy with concerning pain or bleeding. Make an appointment if vertigo returns each cycle, lasts beyond the period, causes falls, or is accompanied by ringing or hearing changes. A repeated pattern is useful information, not a diagnosis by itself.

Ask whether the pattern suggests menstrual migraine, anaemia, an inner-ear problem, or another cause; whether your bleeding needs review; and which pain or nausea medicines are appropriate. Bring cycle dates, bleeding changes, symptom timing, pregnancy possibility, and details of hearing or visual symptoms.