Vestibular migraine and screens: motion, scrolling and settings

Updated 2026-11-02

Quick answerVestibular migraine causes episodes of vertigo or dizziness, and visually induced vertigo is part of its diagnostic criteria. Studies find increased sensitivity to visual motion in people with vestibular migraine. On screens, turning on reduced motion, stopping autoplay and avoiding parallax scrolling can lower the amount of moving content.

What the research says

  • The Bárány Society and IHS criteria include vestibular symptoms such as visually induced vertigo (Lempert 2012).
  • People with vestibular migraine showed sensitized motion perception and more motion sickness (Wurthmann 2021).
  • A 2026 study measured visual motion sensitivity in vestibular migraine (Bourdillon 2026).

What to change

  • Turn on Reduce motion in your operating system.
  • Block autoplay and pause GIFs in the browser.
  • Use smooth scrolling off and keyboard paging for long pages.

When to get help

  • See a doctor urgently for a sudden severe headache, new weakness, trouble speaking, loss of vision or confusion (NHS).

FAQ

Can screens trigger vestibular migraine?

Moving content can provoke symptoms in visually sensitive people; triggers vary.

Does reducing motion treat vestibular migraine?

No. It may make screens easier to use; treatment is for a doctor.

Sources

  • Lempert T et al. Vestibular migraine: diagnostic criteria (Bárány Society / IHS). J Vestib Res, 2012. Link
  • Sensitized rotatory motion perception and increased susceptibility to motion sickness in vestibular migraine. Eur J Neurol, 2021. Link
  • Visual motion sensitivity in vestibular migraine. Otology & Neurotology. Link
  • W3C. Understanding WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.3.3: Animation from Interactions. Link
  • NHS. Headaches: when and where to get medical help. Link

Not a medical device and not medical advice. Migraine Mode is a screen-comfort tool: it does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent migraine or any other condition, and it does not replace a doctor. Its settings are based on studies of light, colour, flicker, patterns and motion; the extension itself has not been clinically tested. When to see a doctor.