Sudden Onset Dizziness & Vomiting: Causes & What to Do

Key takeaways:

• Sudden dizziness and vomiting are common symptoms that can arise from various causes, including inner ear issues, infections, and gastrointestinal problems. While often temporary, some of these may require medical attention.
• Dizziness and vomiting can sometimes signal a more serious underlying issue, especially when accompanied by additional symptoms like headache, diarrhea, or excessive sweating.
• Understanding when to seek medical care is essential in managing your symptoms and preventing complications from conditions such as dehydration or neurological issues.

The sudden onset of dizziness and vomiting can be quite scary and disruptive. Causes behind these symptoms can range from mild to severe. Whether your symptoms are from something as simple as a bout of motion sickness, or whether they could indicate a more serious condition like an inner ear disorder or a drop in your blood pressure, it’s important that you understand potential causes and when you should go for medical attention.

Let’s explore some of the common causes of dizziness and vomiting, additional symptoms to watch for, and what steps you should take if you're experiencing this.

Common causes of sudden dizziness and vomiting

There are several conditions that can cause a sudden episode of dizziness and vomiting, including some which may require medical intervention.

Vertigo

While vertigo is often thought of as a condition, it is actually a symptom of an underlying problem of a problem.

Vertigo is often described as a spinning, tilting, or swaying sensation in which either you or the room you are in is moving. This sensation can range from mild to totally incapacitating. Vertigo occurs when there’s a problem in your inner ear that is affecting your balance. When most people say “I am dizzy,” they are experiencing vertigo.

There are several inner ear problems that can cause you to have vertigo, along with nausea and vomiting:

• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is caused by calcium-carbonate crystals in your inner ear becoming displaced. These crystals help you to know where the position of your head is in space when you turn or tilt your head or move forward. When the crystals become displaced, this can cause vertigo, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms can be brought on with just the slightest movement of the head.
• Vestibular neuritis is apparently caused by inflammation in the 8th cranial nerve, a nerve that is responsible for hearing and balance. Vestibular neuritis can cause vertigo, nausea, and vomiting as well as affect your balance. It can last several days and some symptoms can linger for weeks or months.
• Ménière’s disease is a chronic problem in the inner ear that causes hearing loss, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), vertigo, nausea, and vomiting. Most often, Ménière’s disease usually affects just one ear but for 15 to 25% of people who have the disorder, both ears are involved.

Gastroenteritis

Also known as the stomach flu, gastroenteritis is a viral or bacterial infection that causes inflammation of your stomach and intestines. Although the major symptoms of gastroenteritis and vomiting and diarrhea, dizziness can happen due to loss of body fluids leading to dehydration.

In addition to feeling dizzy, signs of dehydration can include having a dry mouth and a decrease in the amount of urine volume. Your urine can also begin to look dark as your kidneys concentrate it to try to make up for your body’s fluid loss.

Migraine

Often, people who suffer from migraine headaches can also experience dizziness. This type of migraine is known as a vestibular migraine, and can also cause nausea and vomiting​.

Low blood pressure

A sudden drop in your blood pressure can result in dizziness and vomiting. This can sometimes happen when you stand up or change positions too quickly, and is known as orthostatic hypotension.

Low blood pressure with accompanying dizziness and vomiting can also be caused by dehydration, some medications, or other underlying health problems.

Motion sickness

In some people, motion sickness can cause sudden dizziness, as well as nausea and vomiting. Symptoms usually resolve fairly quickly after the movement that caused your symptoms has stopped.

Common causes of dizziness and vomiting with a third symptom

If you have an additional symptom, in addition to dizziness and vomiting, this may help you to narrow down the cause:

Diarrhea

If you have dizziness and vomiting along with diarrhea, this can often be a sign of gastroenteritis (stomach flu) caused by a viral or bacterial infection such as that from food poisoning. In addition, dehydration from fluid loss due to diarrhea can worsen your symptoms​.

Headache

If you have a headache with dizziness and vomiting, you may be suffering from a migraine headache or another neurological condition.

One of the more serious conditions could possibly be a stroke. If you have a severe headache plus dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, especially if you also have numbness or weakness in your face or one of your arms or legs, problems speaking, or loss or disturbance of vision, you should get medical help immediately.

Excessive sweating

Profuse sweating (known as diaphoresis) with dizziness and vomiting may be related to heat exhaustion, dehydration, or a drop in your blood pressure. Sweating along with dizziness could also be a sign of a heart problem​.

If you have continued symptoms, are experiencing chest pain or pressure, or feeling discomfort in your left shoulder or arm, get medical attention right away.

Dizziness and vomiting only while lying down

Vertigo, particularly BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) as discussed above, can be triggered by changes in your head position.

If dizziness and vomiting occur only when you are lying down or rolling over in bed, BPPV may be the cause.​

When you should see a doctor for sudden dizziness and vomiting

If your dizziness and vomiting continue and don’t seem to be getting any better, or if they get worse, you should be seen by a doctor.

You should see a doctor if:

• Dizziness and vomiting last for more than several hours
• You have difficulty keeping fluids down, as this could lead to dehydration
• Your symptoms recur frequently, even if they are mild
• You have dizziness or vomiting after you have had a head injury

You should go to the emergency room if:

• You are vomiting blood or you are passing black, tarry stools
• You have a severe headache, changes in your vision, or weakness on one side of your body
• You have chest pain, experience confusion, or a loss of consciousness​

Questions to ask a doctor about dizziness and vomiting

When visiting your healthcare provider, asking the right questions can help you get the most accurate diagnosis and treatment. Consider these questions to ask your doctor:

1. What could be causing my dizziness and vomiting?
2. Do I need any tests, such as blood work, to find the cause?
3. What treatments do you suggest to relieve my symptoms?
4. Are there any dietary or lifestyle changes I can make to prevent these symptoms?

Common treatments for dizziness and vomiting

The Treatment for sudden dizziness and vomiting will depend on the underlying cause. Here are some common treatment options:

Rehydration

Getting plenty of fluids to stay hydrated is extremely important when you are dealing with vomiting, especially as dehydration contributes to dizziness.

Oral rehydration solutions such as some sports drinks or Pedialyte,™ clear fluids, and in severe cases, IV fluids, may be recommended​ by your healthcare provider.

Medications

Medications to treat vertigo, such as meclizine (like AntiVert) or dimenhydrinate (like Dramamine), can help manage dizziness.

Anti-nausea medications like ondansetron (like Zofran) may also be used to relieve vomiting. If you suffer from motion sickness from riding in a car or traveling on a ship, you can try to head off an attack by taking motion sickness medication. These include such over-the-counter medications as dimenhydrinate (brand name Dramamine)​ and others.

If your motion sickness symptoms tend to be severe, ask your doctor if they will consider prescribing a scopolamine patch (like TransDerm Scop.) Be aware that dimenhydrinate can cause drowsiness and scopolamine will often cause you to have a dry mouth.

Rest

In some cases, the best remedy is rest, particularly if dizziness and vomiting are related to a viral infection or a migraine. Lying down in a quiet, dark room may help to reduce the severity of your symptoms​.

Frequently asked questions: sudden dizziness and vomiting

Can dizziness and vomiting be a sign of a stroke?

Yes, in some cases, dizziness and vomiting can be symptoms of a stroke, especially if they are accompanied by a severe headache, vision problems, or weakness on one side of your body.

You should seek emergency care immediately if you are experiencing these symptoms.

What if you're pregnant and experiencing dizziness and vomiting?

Dizziness and vomiting are not uncommon during pregnancy, particularly if you are in the first trimester (three months) of your pregnancy.

However, severe or prolonged symptoms may lead to dehydration or may point to a more serious condition and should be discussed with your healthcare provider​.

What if you just woke up and feel dizzy and are vomiting?

If dizziness and vomiting happen after you just woke up, it may be related to positional vertigo (see BPPV discussion above) or possibly dehydration. If your symptoms persist or get worse, you should consult a doctor.

Managing dizziness and vomiting

Sudden dizziness and vomiting can come from a variety of causes. These can range from relatively mild conditions like stomach flu or viral labyrinthitis to more severe issues like a stroke or a heart condition. Recognizing additional symptoms and knowing when you should get medical care are key steps in addressing your symptoms and getting relief. If your dizziness and vomiting don’t get better, you should consult with a health care provider.

General Medicine follows a strict editorial process, including using real experts to write our articles, vetted primary sources, fact-checking, a secondary medical review, and updates as necessary. This article was medically reviewed and fact checked by Dr. Lane Thaut, DO.

Sources

American Academy of Audiology. "Vestibular Migraines." American Academy of Audiology, https://www.audiology.org/consumers-and-patients/hearing-and-balance/vestibular-migraines/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. "Ménière's Disease." National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/menieres-disease. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Palmeri, R., and A. Kumar. "Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo." StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 2024, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470308/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024

Smith, T., J. Rider, S. Cen, et al. "Vestibular Neuronitis." StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 2024, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549866/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.