Central vertigo due to vertebrobasilar insufficiency - Vertebrobasilar transitory ischemic accident

Vertigo is the feeling that our body or the objects around us are moving or spinning. When the cause is in the brain, it is known as "central vertigo". Central vertigo is caused by temporary deficient blood flow to the neurons, usually caused by a small clot that then breaks down. The symptoms appear suddenly (stopped blood circulation), followed by complete recovery within minutes to hours (the clot breaks down). It can be associated with headache, nausea, vomiting or lack of attention and memory loss. Should this occur, a neurologist should be urgently consulted (and if possible, the ambulance crew informed) to establish a diagnosis by clinical examination and complementary tests and to prescribe immediate treatment to break down the clot and thin the blood. Long-term measures include cholesterol and blood pressure management, weight loss, exercise and not smoking.