Dizziness, vertigo and disequilibrium are common symptoms reported by adults during visits to their doctors. The way dizziness makes you feel-such as the sensation of vertigo, a feeling of faintness or feeling as if you've lost your balance-provide clues for possible causes. Dizziness is often caused by illnesses that affect the inner ear, including benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), migraine and inflammation of the inner ear balance apparatus (called vestibular neuritis). Vertigo is a symptom of several different conditions. It's most often caused by a problem with the balance mechanisms of the inner ear, although it can also be because of a problem within the brain or the nerves.