Common ways vestibular symptoms can be described

Abnormal ground sensation: Walking on a sponge, walking on foam, walking on a mattress, walking on marshmallows, soft/bouncy floor, uneven ground when it isn't, floor moving beneath me, walking on a boat

Associated ear symptoms: Hearing change, tinnitus, ear pressure/fullness, sound sensitivity, symptoms triggered by loud sounds, symptoms triggered by pressure/straining

Associated nausea/autonomic symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, sweating, clammy, pale, hot/cold, racing heart during an attack

Bouncing / up-and-down movement: Bobbing, bouncing, being on a trampoline, being on a springy floor, moving up and down

Falling / dropping: Falling, about to fall, suddenly dropping, floor dropping away, being pushed or thrown, sudden loss of balance

Floating / disconnected sensation: Floating, light, detached from the ground, feet don't feel planted, walking on air, disconnected from my surroundings

Head sensations: Heavy head, fuzzy head, foggy, pressure, strange sensation in my head, muzzy, spaced out (nonspecific, but commonly reported)

Light-headedness / faintness: Light-headed, faint, woozy, swimmy, head rush, about to black out, grey vision (important because these symptoms are not necessarily vestibular)

Motion sensitivity: Car sickness, travel sickness, difficulty as a passenger, trains, boats, escalators, lifts, watching moving vehicles

Motion when stationary: Feeling as though I'm moving when I'm sitting still, chair/bed seems to move, floor moving, rocking after I've stopped moving

Movement sensitivity: Dizzy turning my head, looking up/down, bending over, rolling over in bed, getting in/out of bed, standing quickly, turning around, walking while looking around

Spatial disorientation: Don't know which way is up, disorientated, difficulty judging where I am in space, losing orientation when turning, feeling that my body and surroundings don't match

Spinning / rotational vertigo: Room spinning, I am spinning, whirling, rotating, turning, being on a roundabout, somersaulting, tumbling

Standing difficulties: Swaying while standing, worse with eyes closed, needing to touch something, difficulty standing in the shower, unstable when dressing

Swaying / rocking: Swaying, rocking, bobbing, floating, drifting, being on a boat, being on a ship, still feeling the waves after getting off a boat

Tilting / pulling: Tilting, tipping, being pulled to one side, pushed sideways, leaning, veering, feeling as though the room is tilted

Unsteadiness: Wobbly, unstable, off balance, unsure of my feet, staggering, walking like I'm drunk, veering to one side, needing to hold onto things

Visual movement / instability: Vision bouncing, jumping, shaking, blurring when walking, surroundings moving when I move my head, difficulty keeping things visually still (oscillopsia)

Visual sensitivity: Dizzy in supermarkets, overwhelmed by patterned floors, scrolling makes me dizzy, crowds are difficult, traffic bothers me, fluorescent lights, busy environments, watching things move

Walking difficulties: Worse in the dark, worse on uneven ground, difficulty walking in crowds, difficulty walking and turning the head, veering, needing a wider stance, difficulty walking in a straight line

Due to the multilayered conditions which can cause these symptoms, comprehensive and multiprofessional approach is essential for safe and effective assessment and rehabilitation.