Welcome to NeuroTalk.

When there is fluid or pressure of any kind on the eardrum, dizziness occurs.

In fact there is a test using sensors on the head, called an electronystagmagram.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronystagmography
During this test, the eardrum is stimulated with heat or air blown into the ear canal...and the resultant electric impulses are recorded with electrodes. Dizziness failure with this stimulation then points to problems with the vestibular nerve.

When you blow your nose too hard, you are putting pressure from the inside of your ear on the eardrum in a similar way and the sensory nerves fire and cause dizziness.

This is sort of a warning to not be so strong in the maneuver and to do it more gently. Using a mucus dissolving drug like Mucinex and drinking more water daily can thin the mucus for you so you don't have to blow so hard. In extreme cases you may damage or rupture your eardrum.

Welcome to a wonderful place ! Lots of caring folks here, very knowledgable ones at that!

Hang in there! You'll get lots of support !!

Rae

Thank you guys. I have done some reading and called my friends and it seems it can happen... perhaps it should be my sore throat that I should be worried with.

Hi,
Does VERTIGO while strong blowing of the nose (especially by blocking only one nostril) cause PERILYMPHATIC FISTULA?? I had the first experience of VERTIGO a few days back which lasted for about a minute. Am i at risk ?? I had done a Tympanometry for both ears - but did not feel any Vertigo due to pressure fluctuations. I am anxious after reading several posts online stating that - VERTIGO while blowing nose can be caused by PERILYMPHATIC FISTULA.

Vestibular.org offers great information about vestibular disorders.

Here is their section on Perilymph Fistula.

http://vestibular.org/perilymph-fistula