Dizzy Spell Symptoms: Understanding Causes, Management, and When to Seek Help

20.06.202001.05.2021 by alexxlab

What are the common symptoms of dizzy spells. How can you manage dizziness at home. When should you seek medical attention for dizziness. What are the potential causes of recurring dizzy spells. Who is at higher risk for experiencing dizziness.

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What is Dizziness and How Does it Feel?

Dizziness is a common yet often disorienting sensation that affects spatial orientation. While not always indicative of a serious condition, dizzy spells can be unsettling and potentially dangerous if they lead to falls. Understanding the nature of dizziness is crucial for proper management and knowing when to seek medical attention.

How does dizziness manifest? People experiencing dizziness may feel:

Lightheaded or faint
Unsteady on their feet
A sense of spinning or movement (vertigo)
Woozy, as if their head is heavy or floating

It’s important to note that dizziness can occur in various positions – while moving, standing still, or even lying down. The sensation can vary in intensity and duration, ranging from brief episodes to prolonged periods of discomfort.

Dizziness vs. Vertigo: Understanding the Difference

While often used interchangeably, dizziness and vertigo are distinct sensations. Vertigo is a specific type of dizziness characterized by the false sense that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving. Intense vertigo can cause nausea and severe balance problems, making simple tasks like walking or driving challenging.

What does vertigo feel like? People with vertigo often describe feeling:

A spinning sensation
Tilting or swaying
Floating

Common Causes of Dizzy Spells

Dizziness can stem from various factors, as maintaining balance involves multiple body systems. What are the most frequent causes of dizzy spells? Let’s explore some common culprits:

Inner Ear Disorders

The inner ear plays a crucial role in maintaining balance, and disorders affecting this delicate system are often responsible for dizziness. Some common inner ear-related causes include:

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): This condition causes brief episodes of vertigo triggered by specific head movements.
Meniere’s Disease: Characterized by recurring episodes of vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, and tinnitus.
Vestibular Neuritis or Labyrinthitis: Infections or inflammation of the inner ear can lead to severe vertigo and balance problems.

Circulatory Problems

Issues affecting blood flow can also result in dizziness. Some circulatory causes include:

Drop in blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension)
Poor circulation
Stroke or mini-stroke (transient ischemic attack)
Heart arrhythmias

Other Potential Causes

Dizziness can also be attributed to various other factors, such as:

Dehydration
Medications (side effects)
Anxiety or panic disorders
Anemia
Low blood sugar
Neurological conditions (e.g., multiple sclerosis, brain tumors)

Managing Dizzy Spells: Immediate Actions and Prevention

When a dizzy spell strikes, knowing how to respond can help alleviate symptoms and prevent potential injuries. What should you do if you suddenly feel dizzy?

Sit or lie down immediately to reduce the risk of falling
If experiencing vertigo, try lying down in a dark, quiet place with your eyes closed
Stay hydrated – drinking water can provide quick relief, especially if dehydration is the cause
Avoid sudden movements and give yourself time to recover

For those prone to recurring dizzy spells, implementing preventive measures can enhance safety and minimize episodes. Consider these strategies:

Remove tripping hazards in your home, such as loose rugs or clutter
Limit or avoid alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, which can exacerbate symptoms
Ensure adequate hydration and sleep
Identify and manage triggers (e.g., certain head movements, specific environments)
Practice balance exercises as recommended by a healthcare professional

When to Seek Medical Attention for Dizziness

While many cases of dizziness are benign and self-resolving, certain situations warrant immediate medical attention. When should you be concerned about your dizzy spells?

Seek emergency care if your dizziness is accompanied by:

Sudden, severe headache
Chest pain or difficulty breathing
Vision changes or speech difficulties
Weakness or numbness, especially on one side of the body
Loss of consciousness
High fever
Neck stiffness
Seizures

Additionally, consult your healthcare provider if you experience:

Recurring or prolonged episodes of dizziness
Dizziness that interferes with daily activities
New or worsening symptoms
Dizziness associated with medications you’re taking

Diagnostic Approaches for Dizziness

Identifying the underlying cause of dizziness often requires a comprehensive evaluation. How do healthcare providers diagnose the root of dizzy spells?

Medical History and Physical Examination

Your doctor will likely begin by asking detailed questions about your symptoms and conducting a physical exam. Key questions may include:

What were you doing when the dizziness occurred?
How would you describe the sensation?
How long did the episode last?
Are there any associated symptoms?
Have you experienced similar episodes in the past?

Diagnostic Tests

Depending on the suspected cause, your healthcare provider may recommend various tests:

Balance tests
Hearing tests
Eye movement tests
Imaging studies (e.g., CT scan, MRI)
Blood tests to check for underlying conditions
Heart function tests (e.g., ECG, echocardiogram)

Treatment Options for Dizziness

The treatment for dizziness varies depending on the underlying cause. What are some common approaches to managing dizzy spells?

Medications

Depending on the diagnosis, your doctor may prescribe:

Anti-vertigo medications (e.g., meclizine, dimenhydrinate)
Anti-nausea drugs
Diuretics (for Meniere’s disease)
Medications to address underlying conditions (e.g., migraine preventives, anti-anxiety drugs)

Vestibular Rehabilitation

For chronic dizziness, especially related to inner ear problems, vestibular rehabilitation can be highly effective. This specialized form of physical therapy aims to:

Improve balance and reduce fall risk
Decrease dizziness and vertigo
Enhance gaze stability
Increase overall function and quality of life

Canalith Repositioning Procedures

For BPPV, specific head maneuvers (e.g., the Epley maneuver) can help reposition the displaced crystals in the inner ear, often providing rapid relief.

Lifestyle Modifications

In many cases, simple lifestyle changes can significantly improve dizziness:

Dietary adjustments (e.g., reducing salt intake for Meniere’s disease)
Stress management techniques
Regular exercise to improve balance and overall health
Avoiding known triggers

Living with Chronic Dizziness: Coping Strategies and Support

For individuals dealing with persistent or recurring dizziness, developing effective coping mechanisms is crucial. How can you manage the impact of chronic dizziness on daily life?

Adapting Your Environment

Making your surroundings more “dizzy-friendly” can reduce the risk of accidents and alleviate anxiety:

Install handrails in bathrooms and along staircases
Ensure adequate lighting throughout your home
Use non-slip mats in the shower and bathtub
Organize your living space to minimize the need for sudden movements

Developing a Support Network

Living with chronic dizziness can be challenging, both physically and emotionally. Building a strong support system is essential:

Communicate openly with family and friends about your condition
Consider joining support groups for individuals with vestibular disorders
Work with your healthcare team to develop a comprehensive management plan
Explore counseling options if dizziness is impacting your mental health

Maintaining Overall Health

General health practices can contribute to better management of dizziness:

Stay physically active within your limits
Practice good sleep hygiene
Eat a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals
Stay hydrated
Manage stress through relaxation techniques or mindfulness practices

Research and Future Directions in Dizziness Management

The field of vestibular research is continuously evolving, offering hope for improved diagnostic tools and treatment options. What are some promising areas of research in dizziness management?

Advanced Diagnostic Techniques

Researchers are developing more sophisticated methods to assess and diagnose vestibular disorders:

Video head impulse testing (vHIT) for detailed assessment of semicircular canal function
Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) to evaluate otolith function
Advanced imaging techniques to visualize inner ear structures more clearly

Novel Treatment Approaches

Emerging therapies show potential for more effective dizziness management:

Vestibular implants for severe bilateral vestibular loss
Gene therapy for inherited vestibular disorders
Targeted drug delivery systems to treat inner ear conditions more effectively
Virtual reality-based rehabilitation programs

Personalized Medicine

The future of dizziness management may lie in tailored approaches based on individual patient characteristics:

Genetic profiling to predict treatment response and disease progression
Customized vestibular rehabilitation protocols based on specific deficits
Precision medication dosing to maximize efficacy and minimize side effects

As research progresses, individuals suffering from dizziness can look forward to more accurate diagnoses and increasingly effective treatment options. Staying informed about these advancements and working closely with healthcare providers can help ensure access to the most up-to-date care strategies.

I’m Dizzy. What Should I Do?

Dizziness is a common problem and usually isn’t serious.

During a spell of dizziness, you may feel as though you’re spinning or moving when you’re not (that’s called vertigo). You may also feel:

Lightheaded or faint
Unsteady on your feet
Woozy, as though your head is heavy or floating

Dizzy spells are different from the sudden onset of dizziness, which could be a sign of stroke. Go to the ER immediately.

Tips for Handling a Dizzy Spell

If you feel dizzy, sit or lie down at once. This will lower your chance of falling down. If you have vertigo, it may help to lie down in a dark, quiet place with your eyes closed.

Drinking water may also give you fast relief, especially if you’re dizzy because you’re dehydrated.

If you’ve had a series of dizzy spells, there are things you can do to make yourself safer. Here are some of them:

Remove tripping hazards in your home, such as rugs on the floor, so that you’re less likely to fall.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine and tobacco, which can make symptoms worse.
Drink enough fluids and get plenty of sleep.
Be aware of things that trigger your dizziness, such as lights, noise, and fast movement, and try to be around them less or move more slowly.

When Should I Call a Doctor?

If you’ve had many bouts of dizziness or spells that last a long time, make an appointment with your doctor.

You should seek help immediately if you’re dizzy and also have:

What Are the Causes?

Keeping you upright and balanced is not an easy job for the brain. It needs input from several systems to do that.

Your doctor may ask you some questions to help narrow down the cause of your problem: What were you doing before your dizziness? What did you feel like during your spell? How long did it last?

Continued

Your dizziness might be the result of a circulatory problem. These can include:

Continued

Issues with your inner ear can also cause dizziness. Among them are:

Meniere’s syndrome. This usually affects only one ear. Symptoms other than dizziness may include ringing in your ear, muffled hearing, nausea or vomiting.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. This is a spinning sensation brought on by moving your head.
Ear infection. That can cause dizziness. Also, you could have something trapped in your ear canal.

Some other causes of dizziness include:

Who Is More Likely To Get Dizzy?

The older you are, the greater your chance for problems with dizziness. As you age, you’re also more likely to take medications that have it as a possible side effect.

If you’ve had a dizzy spell in the past, your odds of having a problem again are increased.

Complications

The most serious complication with dizziness is falling. It may also be unsafe for you to drive or perform other tasks. If your dizziness is caused by an underlying health problem, you may face other problems if that condition goes untreated.

What It Is, Causes & Management

Overview

What is dizziness?

Dizziness can describe several different sensations. Dizziness is an impairment of spatial orientation. A dizzy spell doesn’t always indicate a life-threatening condition, but it can be unnerving. Dizziness can be associated with more serious conditions, such as a stroke or cardiovascular problems. Even on its own, though, if dizziness leads to a fall, it can be dangerous.

Dizziness can occur when you’re moving, standing still or lying down. When you’re dizzy, you may feel:

Faint.
Lightheaded.
Nauseous.
Unsteady.
Woozy.

What’s the difference between dizziness and vertigo?

Intense vertigo can make you nauseous or so unsteady you can’t drive or walk. It feels like you or objects around you are:

Floating.
Spinning.
Swaying.
Tilting.

How common is dizziness?

It’s common to experience dizziness. Almost half of people see their healthcare provider at some point because of feeling dizzy. The older you are, the more likely you are to have this symptom.

Possible Causes

The parts of your ear

What causes dizziness?

A number of conditions can cause dizziness because balance involves several parts of the body. The brain gets input about movement and your body’s position from your:

Inner ear.
Eyes.
Muscles.
Joints.
Skin.

Inner ear disorders are frequently the cause of feeling dizzy. The most common causes include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere’s syndrome and ear infections.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) makes you dizzy when you change your head or body position (like bending over). It usually only lasts a few seconds or minutes. This harmless condition happens when calcium crystals in your inner ear move out of place.

You may have BPPV as a result of a head injury or simply from getting older. The good news is that the treatment is easy. Your healthcare provider can lead you through a series of simple moves, called canalith repositioning procedure (CRP). These movements get the crystals back to their proper position.

Meniere’s syndrome

Meniere’s syndrome involves having too much fluid in the inner ear. Experts aren’t sure why it accumulates. Anyone can develop Meniere’s, but it’s most common in people ages 40 to 60. If you have Meniere’s syndrome, you may also experience:

Meniere’s attacks usually happen suddenly. They can last from 20 minutes to 24 hours. Treatment methods include anti-nausea and anti-vertigo medications. Lifestyle changes may help, too, including:

If your condition doesn’t respond to simple measures, your healthcare provider may recommend more aggressive treatments. Those include injecting medication directly into the ear and surgery.

Ear infections

Viral or bacterial ear infections can cause inflammation (irritation) in the inner ear. The inflammation interferes with the messages your inner ear sends to your brain.

A nerve in the inner ear, the vestibulocochlear nerve, has two branches. Each branch communicates with the brain:

The vestibular nerve sends signals about balance. When the vestibular nerve is inflamed, you develop vestibular neuritis.
The cochlear nerve sends signals about hearing. If inflammation also affects the cochlear nerve, you develop labyrinthitis. Labyrinthitis also causes ringing in the ears and hearing loss.

Ear infection treatments include medications to relieve the symptoms of nausea and dizziness. You might also need antibiotics, antiviral drugs or steroids.

Other causes of dizzy spells and lightheadedness

There are many other factors that can cause dizziness. Within the heart and vascular system, conditions that can cause dizziness include:

Brain-related conditions that can cause dizziness include:

Additional conditions that can cause dizziness include:

Care and Treatment

How are dizziness and vertigo treated?

Treatment for vertigo and dizziness varies widely depending on the cause. Your healthcare provider may refer you to an audiologist for vestibular and balance assessment to help determine the cause for dizziness, and help determine next steps in management. If you have an ear infection, you may just need anti-nausea medication until the infection is gone. For long-term (chronic) conditions, your healthcare provider may recommend vestibular rehabilitation. It’s similar to physical therapy, with the goal of improving your balance through specific exercises.

What can I do to prevent falling?

If you have dizziness or vertigo, you should avoid several activities, including:

Driving (until your doctor gives you approval).
Standing in high places, such as climbing a ladder.
Walking in the dark.
Wearing high-heeled shoes.

Take these steps to reduce your risk of falling:

Always use handrails when walking up and down stairs.
Change positions or turn slowly. Have something nearby to hold onto.
Install hand grips in baths and showers.
Practice exercises that can improve balance, such as tai chi or yoga.
Remove floor clutter that you might trip over like throw rugs, loose electrical cords and stools. Be careful around small pets that might get underfoot.
Sit on the edge of the bed for several minutes in the morning before you stand up.
Use a cane or walker.

When to Call the Doctor

When should I see my healthcare provider?

If your dizziness won’t go away or keeps coming back, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about it. Seek emergency care if you also have any of the following symptoms:

Chest pain.
Double vision or blurred vision.
Fainting (syncope).
High fever.
Numbness, tingling or weakness in your face, arms or legs.
Slurred speech or a stiff neck.
Trouble walking.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Your sense of balance is an intricate process that relies on many body parts. It’s easy to take it for granted until it goes haywire. Your ear, brain and heart can all affect your balance. It can take time to nail down the exact cause. But in most cases, dizziness and vertigo are symptoms of treatable conditions.

Dizziness | Causes of Dizziness and How To Get Rid of It

What is dizziness?

Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE

Ah, that is the million dollar question. “Feeling dizzy” means different things to different people. Or even to the same person in different situations. Most commonly it is used to describe one of the following sensations:

Vertigo, which is a feeling of spinning around.
Feeling faint or light-headed, as if about to pass out or collapse.
Loss of normal balance, ie being unsteady but without feeling faint or whirly.

When you go to a doctor saying you feel “dizzy”, you are giving them a real challenge. Because the word “dizzy” describes several symptoms, and a vast number of conditions can cause dizziness. Your doctor should, however, be able to narrow it down, by finding out exactly what you personally mean by dizziness, and asking about other symptoms.

Why do I feel dizzy?

Dizziness is usually a problem of the inner ear or brain. It may be due to infection or nerve problems. Balance issues without dizziness may be due to low blood pressure, anxiety, nerve problems and heart issues. It is important to see your doctor to investigate the problem.

Well, again, it is going to depend on what you personally mean by dizziness. If you have vertigo, ie you feel as if you or the world around you is spinning, then the most common causes are inner ear problems. Other than confusing your inner ear balance system by riding on a playground roundabout or the teacups ride at the fair, or by turning a load of pirouettes, then causes include:

Read more about these conditions and other causes of vertigo.

What are the possible causes of feeling faint?

If, by dizziness, you mean feeling faint or light-headed, then conditions originating anywhere in your body may be the cause. For example:

People who feel faint often say they feel “light-headed” and feel as if they may collapse unless they sit or lie down. This is sometimes described as feeling dizzy. Most of us can remember times when we have felt like this. For example, when we have been ill with a high temperature (fever), very hungry, or very emotional. However, some people have repeated episodes of feeling faint without an obvious explanation such as a fever.

Orthostatic hypotension

This means your blood pressure drops when you sit up from lying, or when you stand up from sitting or lying. In particular, if you jump up out of bed after a night’s sleep. The fall in blood pressure is just for a short time as the blood pressure quickly adjusts to your new posture. However, in some people the fainting feeling can be more severe and last for a few minutes. This problem tends to get more troublesome as you become older.

Anaemia

The main symptom of anaemia is tiredness. However, if you have anaemia you may not get sufficient oxygen to the brain. This can make you feel light-headed.

Arrhythmias and other heart problems

An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. It occurs when the heart may suddenly beat too fast, too slowly, or in an abnormal way. There are various causes. One of the symptoms of an arrhythmia is to feel faint or light-headed as there may be a sudden decrease in blood supply to the brain as the arrhythmia develops. See the separate leaflet called Abnormal Heart Rhythms (Arrhythmias) for more details.

Various other heart disorders may cause a reduced flow of blood to the brain and cause you to feel faint or light-headed.

Anxiety

In particular, if you have anxiety with panic attacks you can feel light-headed. This can get worse if you over-breathe (hyperventilate) due to the anxiety or panic attack.

Medication

Feeling faint and/or light-headed is sometimes a side-effect of some medicines. It is always worth reading the information leaflet that comes in the drug packet to check if dizziness is a recognised side-effect.

And if you mean the type of dizziness where you don’t feel you or the room are spinning and you don’t feel faint, but you just feel unbalanced, then there are yet more possible causes. These also can start from problems of various body organs and systems, such as your ear, your brain, your nervous system and your general state of health. Alcohol, street drugs and various medicines can also make you feel off-balance, and affect different people differently.

Should I worry about dizziness?

Dizziness due to a temporary infection is usually not harmful. See your doctor if you have:

Tinnitus (ringing or pulsing in ears)
Hearing or visual loss
Loss of consciousness or memory
Headache, worsening or worse when laying down
Headache, worse when coughing
Numbness, movement or speech problems
Irregular, slow or fast pulse

If you are getting recurring dizzy spells, or a constant dizziness for which there is no obvious cause, then see your doctor. If you have dizziness with other alarming symptoms (such as sudden weakness in your arms, legs or face muscles, or chest pain or feeling very breathless), then call an ambulance or see a doctor urgently.

Do I need to see a doctor?

It is usually best to have an explanation for dizziness. If you have a prolonged episode of dizziness, or recurring episodes of dizziness and are not sure what is causing them, then it is wise to see a doctor. In particular, if you have other symptoms in addition to the dizziness, such as:

Headache, especially if it is severe, or a different kind of headache to ones you usually get.
Hearing or visual loss.
Problems with speech.
Weakness of arms or legs.
Difficulty walking.
Collapse, or periods of unconsciousness.
Numbness in areas of your body.
Chest pain.
An abnormally slow or fast pulse.
An irregular pulse.
Any other symptom that you cannot explain.

If any of these symptoms have come on suddenly, see a doctor immediately.

Causes of dizziness

With this number of possibilities, it isn’t all that surprising that a cause is not always found. Indeed, it is estimated that in one out of every five people who go to the doctor complaining of dizziness, a cause is never found. Fortunately even if the cause hasn’t been found, the symptom of dizziness often settles in time.

How do you normally keep your sense of steadiness and balance?

Your brain constantly receives nerve messages from various parts of the body to tell you where you are and what position you are in. The three main sources of these nerve messages are:

Your eyes – what you look at helps your brain to tell what position you are in and how you are moving.
Nerve messages from your skin, muscles and joints help your brain to tell the positions of your arms, legs and other parts of your body.
Your inner ears. The inner ear includes the cochlea, vestibule and semicircular canals in which there is a system of narrow fluid-filled channels called the labyrinth. The cochlea is concerned with hearing. The three semicircular canals help to control balance and posture. Head movements are sensed because when you move your head, the fluid in the labyrinth within the semicircular canals moves too. The movement of the fluid moves tiny fine hairs that are on the inside lining of the labyrinth. When the hairs move, this triggers messages to be sent to the brain via a nerve called the vestibular nerve. This gives the brain information about the movement and position of your head, even when your eyes are closed.

Cross-section of the ear

Inner ear diagram

To be free of dizziness and to have good balance, it is best to have all of these (eyes, nerve signals from the skin muscles and joints, and inner ears) working normally. However, if you shut your eyes, you will normally still have a good sense of balance and know the position of your head and other body parts. This is because of the nerve messages that are sent to your brain from your inner ears, and other parts of your body.

What is meant by dizziness due to balance problems?

In this type of dizziness you do not have vertigo and are not light-headed or feeling faint. However, you feel unsteady on your feet and feel as if you may fall over when you walk, due to unsteadiness.

What can cause loss of balance?

This can be caused by various conditions. These include the following:

Ear problems

Some inner ear conditions can cause balance problems without the spinning sensation of vertigo – for example, an inner ear injury.

Nerve disorders

Various disorders which cause the nerves in the legs not to work properly can cause unsteadiness. For example, peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, etc.

Brain disorders

Various problems in the brain, such as a stroke, or a brain tumour, can cause balance problems. These occur if the affected part of the brain is a part that helps to control posture and balance. There will usually be other symptoms too.

General frailty

General frailty and/or being seriously ill with another illness may lead to loss of balance. You will usually have other symptoms in addition to problems with balance.

Alcohol and drugs

Your balance can be affected by drinking too much alcohol or taking some street drugs.

What tests might I have for dizziness?

A doctor is likely to examine you. Sometimes the doctor can tell you the cause of the dizziness from your symptoms and the result of the examination. In some cases, various tests may be organised to find the cause of the dizziness.

Your doctor will firstly need to ask you some questions about the dizziness. Is it constant or in attacks? Is it the world-is-spinning type of dizziness or a loss of balance, or do you feel faint or light-headed? Do you have other symptoms with it, such as being sick, hearing problems, a ringing in the ear (dizziness), headaches, palpitations, etc? Does it come on in certain situations – for example, when you move your head from one side to the other? Are you taking any medicines?

The doctor will then need to examine you. What this involves will depend on the information gleaned from the answers above, but might include:

Taking your temperature.
Examining your ear.
Examining your eyes and their movements.
Checking your pulse and blood pressure.
Checking your balance and co-ordination.
Looking for any weakness in the muscles of your arms, legs or face.
Tests which look for dizziness in certain positions or position changes.

Depending on what has been established from the above, further tests might be relevant. These will differ depending on which diagnosis is suspected, but might include:

Dizziness treatment

The treatment depends on the cause. Your doctor will be able to advise you regarding this. It will entirely depend on the type of dizziness and what has caused it. For example:

Labyrinthitis usually improves on its own over time.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) can be cured by a series of manoeuvres tilting your head in certain ways to move debris in the semicircular canals of the inner ear.
Dizziness caused by a problem with the heart rhythm or rate is treated by putting the heart rate right – for example, by medicines, a pacemaker or a procedure done directly on the heart.
Dizziness caused by medication is usually easily solved by reducing the dose of, changing or stopping the medicine in question.
Dizziness due to panic attacks or anxiety is solved by treating these conditions directly with talking treatments or medicines. Examples of possible treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy, beta-blocker medicines or antidepressant medicines.

Is there anything I can take for dizziness?

Sometimes you need a medicine for the symptom of dizziness. This might be while you wait for it to get better (for example, labyrinthitis) or while you are waiting for tests to find out the cause, or because you have a condition which can’t easily be cured. For the vertigo type of dizziness, tablets called prochlorperazine or cinnarizine are often prescribed. These do not cure the underlying problem but they help you feel better until it goes away. These do not work so well for the light-headed/faint type of dizziness or for loss of balance.

What Causes Dizzy Spells? 11 Things That Can Cause Sudden Dizzy Spells

Though not as common, exercise so intense that you’re gasping for air can cause hyperventilation, rapid breathing that causes carbon dioxide levels in the blood to drop, resulting in lightheadedness.

6. A medication you’re taking is causing it.

There are a lot of meds that could be the culprit here, but to name a few, anti-seizure drugs, antidepressants, and sedatives are all known to have dizziness as a side effect. Blood-pressure-lowering medications could also make you dizzy if they lower your blood pressure too much. When in doubt, check the side effects on whatever medications you’re taking.

7. You have poor blood circulation.

We know that our blood’s activity can make us feel dizzy in small ways. For example, standing or sitting too quickly can cause a brief drop in your systolic blood pressure, which leads to some brief lightheadedness. It’s also why you might get dizzy when you have blood drawn—the decrease in blood volume can cause inadequate blood flow to your brain.

Less commonly, you may feel dizzy if your heart isn’t pumping enough blood to your brain due to low blood pressure or poor circulation, according to the Mayo Clinic. Conditions such as cardiomyopathy, heart attack, and heart arrhythmia can all cause this dizzy or lightheaded sensation for this reason.

8. You’re dealing with anxiety.

Though it’s not technically the spins associated with dizziness, certain anxiety disorders such as panic disorder can cause lightheadedness and a woozy feeling that can feel an awful lot like being dizzy, the Mayo Clinic says. If you’re not sure if you have an anxiety disorder, it could be worth brushing up on these signs and talking to a doctor to see if it could be to blame for your dizziness.

9. You’re anemic.

According to the Mayo Clinic, anemia is a condition where you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen around your body, so you feel tired and weak as a result. Dizziness is another common symptom. There are many causes of anemia, with the most common being low iron levels.

10. You have low blood sugar.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a condition that is most typical in people with diabetes who use insulin, and it can cause a lightheaded sensation, similar to standing up too fast, the American Diabetes Association says. You might also experience sweating and anxiety along with dizziness, according to the Mayo Clinic.

11. You hit your head recently.

You can also experience dizzy spells after getting a concussion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you hit your head and never got it checked out but sometimes feel like your head gets a little spin-y, there’s a chance that bump did more than you thought.

Symptoms of a Dizzy Spell

When you’re having a dizzy spell, it might feel like the following, per the Mayo Clinic:

A false sense of motion or spinning
Lightheadedness or feeling faint
Unsteadiness or a loss of balance
A feeling of floating, wooziness, or heavy-headedness

The feelings of dizziness can be triggered or get worse when you walk, stand up, or move your head, the Mayo Clinic says. You might also have nausea with it.

When to See a Doctor

Here are a few signs that the dizziness you’re dealing with is something worth bringing up with your doctor:

You’re experiencing it constantly or episodes last hours at a time.

A lot of the time, dizzy spells pass pretty quickly or fade when you address the problem (such as drinking water when you’re dehydrated). However, if a dizzy spell doesn’t pass, that could be a sign something else might be going on. Constant or long-lasting dizziness is often a sign of a more serious ear disorder or undiagnosed migraines.

You’re so dizzy you can’t function.

Even if it only happens once and doesn’t last a long time, it’s worth seeing a doctor if your dizziness is super intense. Not only could it be a sign that something else is going on, but it also puts you in danger of injuring yourself. It’s better to be safe than sorry, says Dr. Cho.

You’re also experiencing symptoms like numbness, weakness, speech problems, clumsiness, or vision problems.

Vertigo can actually be a sign of a stroke, the CDC says. If you feel a spinning dizzy sensation that hits suddenly and also experience any other symptoms of stroke at the same time (for instance, weakness, especially on one side of the body; sudden severe headache; or trouble speaking, seeing, or walking), you should see a doctor to rule it out. Dr. Cho urges a visit to the emergency room where doctors can do a quick check to make sure.

Dizziness: Lightheadedness and Vertigo | Michigan Medicine

Is dizziness your main problem?

How old are you?

3 years or younger

4 to 11 years

12 years or older

Are you male or female?

Why do we ask this question?

If you are transgender or nonbinary, choose the sex that matches the body parts (such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina) you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
If your symptoms aren’t related to those organs, you can choose the gender you identify with.
If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice (once as “male” and once as “female”). This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you.

Have you had a head injury?

Did you pass out completely (lose consciousness)?

If you are answering for someone else: Is the person unconscious now?

(If you are answering this question for yourself, say no.)

Are you back to your normal level of alertness?

After passing out, it’s normal to feel a little confused, weak, or lightheaded when you first wake up or come to. But unless something else is wrong, these symptoms should pass pretty quickly and you should soon feel about as awake and alert as you normally do.

Yes

Has returned to normal after loss of consciousness

Did the loss of consciousness occur during the past 24 hours?

Yes

Loss of consciousness in past 24 hours

Have you had any new neurological symptoms other than dizziness?

Yes

Other neurological symptoms

Do you have these symptoms right now?

Yes

Neurological symptoms now present

Is the dizziness severe?

Severe means that you are so dizzy that you need help to stand or walk.

Have you had sudden, severe hearing loss?

Yes

Sudden, severe hearing loss

Is vertigo a new problem?

Are your symptoms getting worse?

Yes

Dizziness is getting worse

Did the symptoms start after a recent injury?

Yes

Symptoms began after recent injury

Have you recently had moments when you felt like you were going to faint?

Yes

Episodes of feeling faint

Have you felt faint or lightheaded for more than 24 hours?

Yes

Has felt faint or lightheaded for more than 24 hours

Are you nauseated or vomiting?

Nauseated means you feel sick to your stomach, like you are going to vomit.

Are you nauseated a lot of the time or vomiting repeatedly?

Yes

Persistent nausea or vomiting

Do you think that a medicine could be causing the dizziness?

Think about whether the dizziness started after you began using a new medicine or a higher dose of a medicine.

Yes

Medicine may be causing dizziness

Have you been feeling dizzy for more than 5 days?

Yes

Dizziness for more than 5 days

Is the problem disrupting your daily activities?

Yes

Dizziness interfering with daily activities

Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:

Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker.
Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners (anticoagulants), medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, herbal remedies, or supplements can cause symptoms or make them worse.
Recent health events, such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious.
Your health habits and lifestyle, such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.

Try Home Treatment

You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be able to take care of this problem at home.

Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms.
Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns (for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect). You may need care sooner.

Vertigo is the feeling that you or your surroundings are moving when there is no actual movement. It may feel like spinning, whirling, or tilting. Vertigo may make you sick to your stomach, and you may have trouble standing, walking, or keeping your balance.

Symptoms of a heart attack may include:

Chest pain or pressure, or a strange feeling in the chest.
Sweating.
Shortness of breath.
Nausea or vomiting.
Pain, pressure, or a strange feeling in the back, neck, jaw, or upper belly, or in one or both shoulders or arms.
Lightheadedness or sudden weakness.
A fast or irregular heartbeat.

For men and women, the most common symptom is chest pain or pressure. But women are somewhat more likely than men to have other symptoms, like shortness of breath, nausea, and back or jaw pain.

Symptoms of serious illness may include:

A severe headache.
A stiff neck.
Mental changes, such as feeling confused or much less alert.
Extreme fatigue (to the point where it’s hard for you to function).
Shaking chills.

Heartbeat changes can include:

A faster or slower heartbeat than is normal for you. This would include a pulse rate of more than 120 beats per minute (when you are not exercising) or less than 50 beats per minute (unless that is normal for you).
A heart rate that does not have a steady pattern.
Skipped beats.
Extra beats.

Neurological symptoms—which may be signs of a problem with the nervous system—can affect many body functions. Symptoms may include:

Numbness, weakness, or lack of movement in your face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of your body.
Trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
Trouble speaking.
Confusion or trouble understanding simple statements.
Problems with balance or coordination (for example, falling down or dropping things).
Seizures.

Many prescription and nonprescription medicines can make you feel lightheaded or affect your balance. A few examples are:

Antibiotics.
Blood pressure medicines.
Medicines used to treat depression or anxiety.
Pain medicines.
Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy).

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may quickly occur after a sudden illness or injury.

Adults and older children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:

Passing out (losing consciousness).
Feeling very dizzy or lightheaded, like you may pass out.
Feeling very weak or having trouble standing.
Not feeling alert or able to think clearly. You may be confused, restless, fearful, or unable to respond to questions.

Seek Care Now

Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care.

Call your doctor now to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
If you cannot reach your doctor or you don’t have one, seek care in the next hour.
You do not need to call an ambulance unless:
- You cannot travel safely either by driving yourself or by having someone else drive you.
- You are in an area where heavy traffic or other problems may slow you down.

Seek Care Today

Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care.

Call your doctor today to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
If you cannot reach your doctor or you don’t have one, seek care today.
If it is evening, watch the symptoms and seek care in the morning.
If the symptoms get worse, seek care sooner.

Call 911 Now

Based on your answers, you need emergency care.

Call 911 or other emergency services now.

After you call 911, the operator may tell you to chew 1 adult-strength (325 mg) or 2 to 4 low-dose (81 mg) aspirin. Wait for an ambulance. Do not try to drive yourself.

Sometimes people don’t want to call 911. They may think that their symptoms aren’t serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them. Or they might be concerned about the cost. But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call 911 for medical transport to the hospital.

Make an Appointment

Based on your answers, the problem may not improve without medical care.

Make an appointment to see your doctor in the next 1 to 2 weeks.
If appropriate, try home treatment while you are waiting for the appointment.
If symptoms get worse or you have any concerns, call your doctor. You may need care sooner.

Call 911 Now

Based on your answers, you need emergency care.

Call 911 or other emergency services now.

Head Injury, Age 4 and Older

Head Injury, Age 3 and Younger

Dizziness: Light-Headedness and Vertigo | HealthLink BC

Is dizziness your main problem?

How old are you?

3 years or younger

4 to 11 years

12 years or older

Are you male or female?

Why do we ask this question?

The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have.

If you are transgender or non-binary, choose the sex that matches the body parts (such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina) you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
If your symptoms aren’t related to those organs, you can choose the gender you identify with.
If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice (once as “male” and once as “female”). This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you.

Have you had a head injury?

Did you pass out completely (lose consciousness)?

If you are answering for someone else: Is the person unconscious now?

(If you are answering this question for yourself, say no.)

Are you back to your normal level of alertness?

After passing out, it’s normal to feel a little confused, weak, or light-headed when you first wake up or come to. But unless something else is wrong, these symptoms should pass pretty quickly and you should soon feel about as awake and alert as you normally do.

Yes

Has returned to normal after loss of consciousness

Did the loss of consciousness occur during the past 24 hours?

Yes

Loss of consciousness in past 24 hours

Have you had any new neurological symptoms other than dizziness?

Yes

Other neurological symptoms

Do you have these symptoms right now?

Yes

Neurological symptoms now present

Is the dizziness severe?

Severe means that you are so dizzy that you need help to stand or walk.

Have you had sudden, severe hearing loss?

Yes

Sudden, severe hearing loss

Is vertigo a new problem?

Are your symptoms getting worse?

Yes

Dizziness is getting worse

Did the symptoms start after a recent injury?

Yes

Symptoms began after recent injury

Have you recently had moments when you felt like you were going to faint?

Yes

Episodes of feeling faint

Have you felt faint or light-headed for more than 24 hours?

Yes

Has felt faint or light-headed for more than 24 hours

Are you nauseated or vomiting?

Nauseated means you feel sick to your stomach, like you are going to vomit.

Are you nauseated a lot of the time or vomiting repeatedly?

Yes

Persistent nausea or vomiting

Do you think that a medicine could be causing the dizziness?

Think about whether the dizziness started after you began using a new medicine or a higher dose of a medicine.

Yes

Medicine may be causing dizziness

Have you been feeling dizzy for more than 5 days?

Yes

Dizziness for more than 5 days

Is the problem disrupting your daily activities?

Yes

Dizziness interfering with daily activities

Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:

Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker.
Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
Medicines you take. Certain medicines and natural health products can cause symptoms or make them worse.
Recent health events, such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious.
Your health habits and lifestyle, such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.

Try Home Treatment

You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be able to take care of this problem at home.

Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms.
Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns (for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect). You may need care sooner.

Symptoms of a heart attack may include:

Chest pain or pressure, or a strange feeling in the chest.
Sweating.
Shortness of breath.
Nausea or vomiting.
Pain, pressure, or a strange feeling in the back, neck, jaw, or upper belly, or in one or both shoulders or arms.
Light-headedness or sudden weakness.
A fast or irregular heartbeat.

The more of these symptoms you have, the more likely it is that you’re having a heart attack. Chest pain or pressure is the most common symptom, but some people, especially women, may not notice it as much as other symptoms. You may not have chest pain at all but instead have shortness of breath, nausea, or a strange feeling in your chest or other areas.

Symptoms of serious illness may include:

A severe headache.
A stiff neck.
Mental changes, such as feeling confused or much less alert.
Extreme fatigue (to the point where it’s hard for you to function).
Shaking chills.

Heartbeat changes can include:

A faster or slower heartbeat than is normal for you. This would include a pulse rate of more than 120 beats per minute (when you are not exercising) or less than 60 beats per minute (unless that is normal for you).
A heart rate that does not have a steady pattern.
Skipped beats.
Extra beats.

Neurological symptoms—which may be signs of a problem with the nervous system—can affect many body functions. Symptoms may include:

Numbness, weakness, or lack of movement in your face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of your body.
Trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
Trouble speaking.
Confusion or trouble understanding simple statements.
Problems with balance or coordination (for example, falling down or dropping things).
Seizures.

Many prescription and non-prescription medicines can make you feel light-headed or affect your balance. A few examples are:

Antibiotics.
Blood pressure medicines.
Medicines used to treat depression or anxiety.
Pain medicines.
Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy).

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may quickly occur after a sudden illness or injury.

Adults and older children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:

Passing out (losing consciousness).
Feeling very dizzy or light-headed, like you may pass out.
Feeling very weak or having trouble standing.
Not feeling alert or able to think clearly. You may be confused, restless, fearful, or unable to respond to questions.

Seek Care Now

Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care.

Call your doctor now to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
If you cannot reach your doctor or you don’t have one, seek care in the next hour.
You do not need to call an ambulance unless:
- You cannot travel safely either by driving yourself or by having someone else drive you.
- You are in an area where heavy traffic or other problems may slow you down.

Seek Care Today

Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care.

Call your doctor today to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
If you cannot reach your doctor or you don’t have one, seek care today.
If it is evening, watch the symptoms and seek care in the morning.
If the symptoms get worse, seek care sooner.

Call 911 Now

Based on your answers, you need emergency care.

Call 911 or other emergency services now.

After you call 911, the operator may tell you to chew 1 adult-strength (325 mg) or 2 to 4 low-dose (81 mg) aspirin. Wait for an ambulance. Do not try to drive yourself.

Sometimes people don’t want to call 911. They may think that their symptoms aren’t serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them. But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call 911 for medical transport to the hospital.

Make an Appointment

Based on your answers, the problem may not improve without medical care.

Make an appointment to see your doctor in the next 1 to 2 weeks.
If appropriate, try home treatment while you are waiting for the appointment.
If symptoms get worse or you have any concerns, call your doctor. You may need care sooner.

Call 911 Now

Based on your answers, you need emergency care.

Call 911 or other emergency services now.

Head Injury, Age 4 and Older

Head Injury, Age 3 and Younger

Causes, Symptoms, Treatments & Risk Factors

Some common causes of dizziness include hunger, fatigue, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), or anxiety. Dizziness can also be caused by neurologic conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy.

Vertigo (the perception of moving or your surroundings moving around you) is associated with disturbances in the vestibular system, which governs balance. Because your ears are associated with this system, ear infections and diseases, such as Meniere’s disease, can affect your sense of balance and gait. Benign positional vertigo affects the inner ear and occurs when you change the position of your head. Labyrinthitis usually follows a cold or flu and is often caused by a viral infection of the inner ear.

Serious causes of dizziness can include heart attack, stroke, or shock, all of which are severe, potentially life-threatening conditions that warrant immediate medical care.

Causes of lightheadedness

Dizziness in the sense of lightheadedness may be caused by the following:

Alcohol or drug use or intoxication

Decreased levels of breathable oxygen (altitude, carbon monoxide exposure, etc.)

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

Infections or illnesses, such as the cold or flu

Vertigo may be caused by the following:

Alcohol or drug use or intoxication

Meniere’s disease (inner ear condition affecting balance and hearing)

Positional vertigo (dizziness that occurs when shifting the position of the head)

Neurologic causes of dizziness

Dizziness can also be caused by neurologic conditions including:

Infection of the ear or brain

Serious or life-threatening causes of dizziness

In some cases, dizziness may be a symptom of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. These include:

Transient ischemic attack (temporary stroke-like symptoms that may be a warning sign of an impending stroke)

Questions for diagnosing the cause of dizziness

To diagnose your condition, your doctor or licensed healthcare practitioner will ask you several questions related to your dizziness including:

How long have you been experiencing dizziness?

Is your dizziness caused by changing positions?

Do you have other symptoms in addition to dizziness?

Did the dizziness occur with or following an illness?

Does the dizziness stop in certain situations? Does anything remedy the dizziness?

Have you recently started, changed, substituted, or discontinued any prescription medications?

Have you ever fainted or passed out because of your dizziness?

Are you stressed or anxious?

Q&A about the causes of dizziness

Common questions people have about the various dizziness causes include:

Why am I dizzy after eating? There can be several reasons you feel dizzy after eating. This includes postprandial hypotension (low blood pressure after eating) and reactive hypoglycemia (low blood sugar within four hours of eating). Food sensitivities and alcohol can also cause dizziness after a meal.

Why am I dizzy after standing up? If you get dizzy after standing up, it’s most likely orthostatic hypotension. Another name for it is postural hypotension. It happens due to your blood pressure dropping when you stand up from a sitting or lying position.

Why do I get dizzy when lying down? If you get dizzy when lying down, it’s most likely related to your vestibular system. Specifically, it could be BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo).

Only your doctor can tell you for certain what is causing your dizziness. If you have any of these questions, see your doctor for a thorough evaluation.

90,000 Meniere’s disease: treatment of the disease | Clinic Rassvet

Fast passage

Meniere’s disease is a disease of the inner ear, manifested by systemic dizziness, hearing loss of the sensorineural type, subjective tinnitus.

The prevalence of the disease ranges from 3.5 to 513 cases per 100,000 population in different countries. The disease suddenly affects people aged 40-50, men and women equally.In 30% of cases, both labyrinths (both ears) are affected.

In the pathogenesis of Meniere’s disease, an important role is played by endolymphatic hydrops (dropsy) – an increase in the volume of endolymph filling the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear and, as a result, its stretching with irritation of the receptors. Due to excessive pressure on the receptors, auditory and vestibular symptoms occur: hearing loss, subjective ear noise, nystagmus (involuntary oscillatory eye movements), deviation of the body in space, nausea, vomiting, palpitations.

The etiology of this disease is not fully understood.

Stages of the disease

I (initial) stage. Characterized by intermittent or increasing tinnitus (low-frequency noise reminiscent of the murmur of the sea), a feeling of congestion or pressure in the ear, fluctuating (sometimes increasing, sometimes decreasing) sensorineural hearing loss. Periodically, there are attacks of systemic dizziness (a feeling of rotation of oneself or the surrounding space around) lasting from 20 minutes to 12 hours, accompanied by nausea and vomiting.Spontaneous nystagmus is registered in the direction of the irritated labyrinth. There are no complaints in the interictal period.

Stage II. Characterized by severe clinical manifestations. Dizziness attacks last from 20 minutes to 12 hours, accompanied by tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss, progressing with each subsequent dizziness attack, as well as nausea and vomiting. According to the audiogram, fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss of the II-III degree is recorded, which persists in the interictal period.

III stage. Typical systemic vertigo becomes more rare. Along with typical attacks of systemic dizziness, unsteadiness and unsteadiness of gait appear. Subjective tinnitus is constantly present, rarely intensifying at the time of an attack. In the study of hearing according to audiometry, persistent sensorineural hearing loss (without fluctuation) is noted.

Diagnostic Criteria

Two or more spontaneous attacks of dizziness lasting from 20 minutes to 12 hours
Audiometry-confirmed sensorineural hearing loss at low and medium frequencies before, during, or after vertigo
Auditory symptoms – subjective noise, feeling of pressure (“fullness”) in the affected ear
Excluded other diseases manifested by dizziness, balance disorder, hearing loss.

To diagnose the hydrops of the labyrinth, a dehydration test is carried out (registration – in dynamics – tonal threshold audiometry, speech intelligibility, otoacoustic emission after taking a dehydrating agent – a diuretic) and electrocochleography (registration of electrical potentials that are generated in the inner ear and auditory nerve in response to sound stimulation).

To study the vestibular function, videonystagmography or electronystagmography (nystagmus study) is performed with rotational and caloric tests.

Differential Diagnostics

Meniere’s disease is differentiated (distinguished) from acute disturbance of cerebral circulation, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), tumors of the cerebellopontine angle, vestibular neuronitis, multiple sclerosis and other diseases that can manifest as systemic vertigo.

It must be remembered that dizziness can be observed when taking certain groups of drugs.

Treatment of Meniere’s disease

The goal of treatment is to stop or reduce the frequency of dizziness and reduce the severity of attacks, to prevent hearing loss.

During an attack, patients are advised to take a horizontal position, remain motionless, try to fix their gaze on any object. For treatment, vestibulolytics are used – drugs that relieve symptoms: antihistamines, antiemetics, as well as benzodiazepines and anticholinergics.

In the interictal period, diuretics, calcium channel blockers can be used.

The study of the effectiveness of transtympanic (drug administration through the tympanic membrane) application of glucocorticosteroids continues.There are no unambiguous conclusions yet, the data obtained in the course of the studies already carried out are not enough. The question of the advisability of using betahistine also remains controversial. The research results are conflicting, we are inclined to believe that its effectiveness is most likely comparable to a placebo.

In severe cases, the transtympanic administration of gentamicin is used – an antibiotic that has a toxic effect on receptor cells, completely inhibiting the vestibular function on the affected side.A side effect of the drug is a persistent hearing loss, so it is irrational to use this drug in stages I and II of the disease.

In severe cases, surgical treatment is considered – operations on the endolymphatic sac, destruction of the labyrinth, transection of the vestibular part of the VIII cranial nerve.

Patients with Meniere’s disease are recommended to change their lifestyle: proper sleep, stress reduction, salt-free diet, elimination of caffeine, alcohol and tobacco.

In the interictal period – vestibular rehabilitation (a special set of exercises to compensate for balance disorders), psychotherapy, in particular, cognitive-behavioral.

In case of persistent sensorineural hearing loss, the patient is advised to select a hearing aid.

For the treatment of Meniere’s disease, the use of vascular, metabolic, homeopathic or any other means and methods of treatment with unproven efficacy is not recommended.

In the event of a probable Meniere’s disease, Rassvet’s doctors refer the patient for a full examination to otoneurologists – to research or specialized private centers with which our clinic cooperates.

Authors:

90,000 What to do if you feel dizzy? – publications of the family clinic Childhood Plus

Dizziness (vertigo) is a condition in which a person feels as if his body or objects around him are moving, although in fact they are motionless. This is a common reason for doctor visits. Unpleasant sensations give a person discomfort and serve as a symptom of pathology occurring in the body, especially if they appear constantly and have a long-term effect.Therefore, it is very important to find out the causes of frequent dizziness.

Diagnostics

The condition when the head is often dizzy is a symptom of many diseases. Accordingly, there are many reasons that can cause it. That is why diagnostics should be carried out in a comprehensive manner.

Specialists use various methods for diagnosis:

physical examination – the doctor finds out the patient’s complaints;
general analysis of blood and urine;
biochemical blood test – systemic dizziness may be the result of low serum iron levels, etc.etc .;
X-ray – allows you to detect osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae;
Ultrasound of the vessels of the brain – the state of the vessels and blood flow is assessed;
magnetic resonance imaging – makes it possible to detect inflammatory processes, atherosclerosis, tumors, etc.;
ECG – to identify cardiac pathologies, which may be the causes of persistent dizziness;
to conduct an EEG – to assess the state of the cerebral cortex;
computed tomography – the condition of the veins and arteries is assessed.

Causes of severe and prolonged dizziness

Constant dizziness in women and men, in contrast to rare dizziness that occurs with sudden movements, poisoning or alcohol intoxication, can be caused by serious illnesses, so you need to know their symptoms and treatment.

Neurological causes

Frequent attacks of dizziness can occur due to damage to the nerve endings, as well as the circulatory system of the brain.Systemic vertigo causes migraine, meningitis, encephalitis, tumors of various origins, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, strokes in the brain stem structures and in the cerebellum, vertebro-basilar syndrome arising from insufficient blood flow to the brain tissues.

ENT pathology

Chronic dizziness causes inflammation of the vestibular apparatus, which occurs in the organs of hearing or nerve fibers located nearby. In these cases, chronic nausea often occurs.These are pathologies such as trauma to the internal organs of hearing, ischemia of the vessels of these organs, purulent processes in them, Meniere’s disease and others.

Cardiovascular disorders

Frequent dizziness in a woman can be caused by menopause or menopause. In addition, cases are common when persistent vertigo occurs due to ailments of the heart and blood vessels, arrhythmias, diabetes mellitus, thyroid dysfunction, and sudden surges in blood pressure.

Psycho-emotional disorders

Psycho-emotional reasons are hidden in external factors.This is stress, intense excitement. An overly emotional woman, for example, may feel dizzy several times a day, becoming chronic. This condition is often aggravated by tachycardia, rapid breathing, weakness of the arms and legs.

What to do when you feel dizzy?

At the time of the attack, the person should be laid on the bed, put a wet towel on the forehead. Provide fresh air supply to the room. The patient should try to fix his gaze on one fixed object.You can give him a glass of water to drink. If such attacks are systemic in nature or do not go away for a long time, you should make an appointment with a doctor (at home).

Treatment of persistent dizziness is aimed at eliminating the pathologies that cause this symptom. The doctor, based on complaints and visual signs, establishes a preliminary diagnosis and refers the patient for consultation to specialized specialists.

Date of publication: 21.09.2017 |
Change date: 14.01.2021

Diagnostics and treatment of dizziness in Moscow, price

Dizziness is a symptom that can accompany a wide variety of neurological diseases. The patient complains of an imaginary sensation of rotation, translational movements of his own body or surrounding objects. At the same time, the gait becomes uncertain, the balance is disturbed, the person feels as if he is “falling through”. Dizziness can also be accompanied by autonomic reactions (sweating, paleness or redness of the face), nausea, vomiting, and discomfort in the heart.

Doctors of the Department of Neurology of the Clinical Hospital on Yauza carry out comprehensive diagnostics to identify the causes of dizziness and establish diseases with which it may be associated.

Our doctors specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of diseases, including cerebrovascular pathology, dizziness and impaired stability, sleep disorders, impaired memory and attention, pain syndromes of various origins, diseases of the spine, mobility impairment, muscular dystonia, etc.For the treatment of a number of diseases, specialists successfully use preparations of botulinum toxin type A.

When a patient complains of dizziness, the doctors of the Clinical Hospital on Yauza carry out the most thorough diagnostics.

Causes of dizziness

True dizziness is the result of disturbances in the work of the vestibular apparatus, as well as visual and kinesthetic analyzers involved in the regulation of human balance.

True dizziness can be both constant and episodic (paroxysmal).There are conditions that patients describe as dizziness, but they are associated with other causes. For example, dizziness is often called an attack of lightheadedness, a lightheaded state when a person may experience severe weakness, sweating, and suddenly turns pale. This condition is typical for cardiovascular pathologies, a sharp decrease in pressure and has nothing to do with the vestibular apparatus. Another set of sensations that patients may mistake for dizziness is associated with neurological pathologies that lead to unsteady gait and disorientation in space (cerebellar disorders, parkinsonism).Also, dizziness can be called a feeling of heaviness in the head, similar to intoxication, characteristic of people with neuroses.

Diseases accompanied by dizziness

Dizziness is a symptom of many diseases, including severe ones, including:

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
vegetative vascular dystonia
vestibular neuritis (inflammation of the vestibular nerve)
diseases of the inner ear
neck and head injuries
brain tumor
migraine
epilepsy
Diabetes mellitus (dizziness is a sign of a dangerously low blood glucose level)
stroke
Meniere’s disease (dizziness accompanied by tinnitus, hearing loss, nausea, vomiting) and other

Diagnostics of dizziness in the Clinical Hospital on Yauza

Diagnosis of the causes of dizziness at the Yauza Clinical Hospital begins with a detailed conversation between the doctor and the patient.The true cause of the disease is often allowed to establish the symptoms accompanying dizziness, the duration, frequency and nature of the attacks.

Specialists of the neurology department of our clinic carry out the following examinations, which help to establish an accurate diagnosis:

clinical blood test
MRI of the brain (including with intravenous contrast)
MR-angiography of intracranial arteries and vessels of the neck
MSCT of neck vessels with contrast
X-ray of the cervical spine
triplex scanning of extracranial (neck) and intracranial (head) divisions
consultations of an endocrinologist, otolaryngologist, ophthalmologist

Treatment of dizziness in the Clinical Hospital on Yauza

Based on the diagnosis, the neurologist of the Clinical Hospital on Yauza prescribes treatment.

Dizziness can be alleviated by the appointment of vasodilators, drugs that improve the microcirculation of the brain, and tranquilizers.

In addition to prescribing medicines, our neurologist develops a diet for patients (limiting the consumption of salty foods, liquids, tea, coffee, chocolate, excluding tobacco and alcohol) and will advise on special exercises designed to train the vestibular apparatus.

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Meniere’s disease | University Hospital Freiburg

Description

Morbus Ménière or Ménière’s disease Ménière’s disease is a rare condition of the inner ear. According to scientific studies, it is characterized by a violation of fluid absorption in the middle ear and the accumulation in it, as a result, of a large amount of endolymph. Due to the fact that the middle ear is lined with a leathery membrane, liquid can spread over its surface in a confined space.This leads to increased pressure in the middle ear and partial damage to the cochlea.

Symptoms

The acute form of the disease is characterized by classic symptoms:

dizziness
impaired coordination of movements
nausea and vomiting
hearing impairment: unilateral hearing loss during dizziness with a feeling of noise and ringing in the affected ear

As side signs of Meniere’s disease patients sometimes have nystagmus – the inability to focus on certain objects, which further contributes to the violation of vestibular function.In the intervals between attacks, there are no symptoms of the disease such as dizziness, imbalance. In addition, vegetative symptoms such as tachycardia or excessive sweating may occur. During bouts of the disease, a sharp decrease in hearing occurs due to damage to the inner ear. At the same time, hearing is often fluctuating: it can either worsen or recover again after a while. A protracted course of the disease often leads to one-sided, and sometimes complete deafness.

Causes and risks

The causes of Meniere’s disease have not yet been identified. There is a theory that this disease is due to a hereditary factor, since it occurs in some family members in the form of certain anatomical features of the hearing organs and the vestibular apparatus, for example, deviations in their structure. It is believed that such developmental abnormalities can cause Meniere’s disease. It is believed that, in some cases, the disease manifests itself as a result of previous injuries to the inner ear.Other possible causes of Meniere’s disease include unfavorable environmental factors (for example, increased noise levels), viral infections, and poor circulation.

Examination and diagnosis

The most important principles in the diagnosis of Meniere’s disease are a thorough analysis of the patient’s medical history and the study of a detailed description of the symptoms.

The diagnosis of Ménière’s disease can be made if the patient has had at least two spontaneous attacks with severe dizziness lasting at least 20 minutes, accompanied by a feeling of pressure and tinnitus or no tinnitus.In addition, hearing loss has been reported with the help of audiometric tests. Other methods for diagnosing the disease include:

electrocochleography: checking the functionality of the hair cells of the organ of Corti by recording electrical impulses from the cochlea and the auditory nerve. Changes in the amplitude and their duration make it possible to confirm an excess of endolymph and an increase in its pressure in the inner ear;
Audiometry: carrying out a number of necessary tests to study hearing and determine the thresholds of discomfort and hearing adaptation: SISI test, Fowler test, glycerol test, Weber tuning fork test to determine the lateralization of sound on the side of the healthy ear, BERA test (Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry ) – study of the reaction of the auditory nerve and the brain stem.

In order to exclude acoustic neuroma of the auditory nerve, magnetic resonance imaging is performed using a contrast agent and T2 weighing.

Treatment

Since the causes of Ménière’s disease are unknown, and there is simply no causal therapy, treatment is mainly about eliminating the symptoms of the disease. In this case, one should distinguish between treatment and prevention of acute attacks. Surgical procedures can be used along with certain medications in symptomatic therapy.So-called anti-vertiginous drugs and antiemetic drugs for nausea are used to alleviate symptoms during acute attacks against dizziness. In some severe cases, the doctor will prescribe intravascular medication. In case of severe vomiting, the loss of fluid and electrolytes from the body must also be compensated for by intravenous infusions. If attacks occur frequently and in severe form, long-term treatment is recommended, observing certain time intervals. The use of the active substance betahistine contributes to a decrease in the number of dizziness attacks, but, in fact, a complete cure for Meniere’s disease has not yet been observed.

If conservative methods of treatment do not give a positive effect, you can, as a last resort, resort to partial removal of the structures of the inner ear. For this procedure, an antibiotic (usually gentamicin) or a local anesthetic is injected directly into the middle ear through the eardrum.

Vertigo can also be relieved by surgery, during which the vestibular branch of the VIII nerve is cut. This surgical method results in hearing loss in the affected ear, so this procedure can only be used if you are completely deaf.As an alternative method, it is possible to use the so-called sacculotomy – drainage of the endolymphatic sac in order to improve the absorption of the endolymph and reduce the pressure in the inner ear.

Current and forecast

The course of the disease is very individual. In some people, it may consist of a single attack. In most cases, seizures can recur. Sometimes Meniere’s disease can suddenly stop and never show up again.Hearing and motor coordination disorders caused by the disease can persist for a long time, and attacks of the disease can lead to one-sided deafness. If the disease persists for five years, then about 50% of people suffering from this disease may become completely deaf.

Neurology

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is a combination of nervous system lesion syndromes pathogenetically associated with diabetes mellitus. The incidence among people with type 2 diabetes reaches 70-90%.

DPN is classified according to the predominant involvement of the spinal nerves (peripheral neuropathy) and / or the autonomic nervous system (autonomic neuropathy) in the process.

Diabetic distal symmetric sensory-motor polyneuropathy is the most common type of peripheral diabetic neuropathy. Typical symptoms are a burning sensation, “creeping”, pain in the legs and feet, and nighttime muscle cramps. Neurological examination reveals a weakening of the Achilles reflexes, impaired sensitivity of the “socks” and “gloves” type, and a decrease in proprioceptive sensitivity.It is important that with late diagnosis of the pathology, complications of foot ulcers develop, which can lead to gangrene (diabetic foot) and often to amputations. In treatment, tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline) are effective as pain relievers, alpha-lipoic acid and B vitamins against the background of active glycemic control.

Autonomic neuropathy leads to dysregulation of vital functions and maintenance of homeostasis, which determines the course and structure of mortality in type 2 diabetes.

A gastrointestinal form of DPN is distinguished, characterized by gustatory hypersalivation, hypo- and atony of the stomach, atony of the esophagus, hypomotoric intestines, functional hypoacidosis, reflux esophagitis, atony of the gallbladder and dyskinesia of the biliary tract with a tendency to cholelithiasis.

The urogenital form of DPN can be clinically manifested by atony of the ureters and bladder, reflux and urinary stasis, a tendency to develop urinary infections, and erectile dysfunction.

The main clinical manifestations of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy include resting tachycardia (“fixed” pulse, often an early sign of developing DPN), arrhythmias (neuropathic lengthening of the Q-T interval, etc.), orthostatic hypotension, painless myocardial ischemia (BIM), arterial hypertension (increased activity of the sympathetic part of the nervous system caused by parasympathetic dysfunction; no decrease in blood pressure at night).

The most severe complication of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy is sudden death.

Methods for diagnosing cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy include: examination of cardiovascular reflexes (Valsalva test, Shelong test, etc.), 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, Holter ECG monitoring, measurement of the corrected QT interval and dispersion of the Q interval.

Treatment of most forms of autonomic disorders is symptomatic. The main principle for reducing the progression of DPN is glycemic control.

Dizziness | Rinos Clinic

Dizziness is the second most common symptom with which adults consult a neurologist (in the first place are back pain and headaches).The causes of dizziness can be osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, diseases of the inner ear, vestibular apparatus, decreased blood pressure, cerebrovascular accident, psychogenic disorders, etc. Usually attacks of dizziness are accompanied by nausea, vomiting, severe weakness.

A neurologist can help clarify the cause of dizziness. Based on the diagnosis, treatment is prescribed, which includes: the use of drugs for dizziness, the implementation of special exercises designed to train the vestibular apparatus, adherence to a special diet, and in some cases, surgery.

What is vertigo?

True dizziness is a condition in which the patient has a false sensation that the surrounding objects rotate around him or the sensation of his own movement, rotation.

For an example of true dizziness not associated with illness, consider the dizziness that occurs after riding a carousel. If the carousel is stopped abruptly, it seems to the person that the surrounding objects continue to revolve around him, as if the carousel were still in motion.

Most often, the onset of true dizziness is a symptom of human diseases associated with the system for controlling balance and body position in space, which includes the eyes, the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear, sensitive receptors of the muscles, joints and bones of a person.

If dizziness is caused by a disturbance in the balance system, it is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

It is possible to define dizziness as a sensation of disturbed orientation of the body in space, which means the sensation of rotation of the patient or objects around him.Often, dizziness is understood as various sensations: slight instability, feeling lightheaded, drunkenness, or the impression of rotation of your body or surrounding objects.

Dizziness occurs when one of the three anatomical systems in the body are stimulated, which are responsible for controlling the balance of the body in space: vestibular, visual, and muscular. This can happen if, for example, you spin quickly on a carousel. But if the occurrence of dizziness is not associated with an apparent cause, it may be a symptom of some kind of disease.It can also appear in connection with damage to the peripheral parts of the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear or the vestibular nerve. In this case, the vertigo is called peripheral. In addition, the cause of dizziness can be diseases of the brain, then it is called central dizziness.

Causes of dizziness

There are many reasons for dizziness. It can occur as a result of damage to the vestibular nerve or inner ear, in which case it will be called peripheral.Also, the causes of dizziness can include diseases of the brain, in this case we are talking about central dizziness. Symptoms accompanying dizziness, the nature of dizziness, the duration and frequency of attacks make it possible to establish the true cause of the disease:

Discharge from the ear and hearing loss may indicate inflammation of the inner ear, in which case conservative treatment may be required.
Dizziness, accompanied by tinnitus, hearing loss, nausea, vomiting, probably indicates the presence of Meniere’s syndrome.In the absence of a disorder of auditory function, dizziness may be a manifestation of vestibular neuritis. Neuritis is characterized by a sudden onset. When trying to stand up and moving the head, the feeling of rotation, severe dizziness and constant vomiting increase. Most often, these symptoms disappear gradually within 2-3 days. After the end of the acute period, in some cases, the illusion of movement with linear accelerations remains, for example, in a lift or a car.
In case of sudden one-sided deafness, tinnitus, vomiting, in half of the cases, patients are diagnosed with perilymphatic fistula.Also, a fistula can manifest itself with varying degrees of dizziness and hearing impairment (hearing loss, noise, ringing in the ears).
Unilateral hearing loss and dizziness exclude a brain tumor. Such dizziness begins gradually, often accompanied by gradually increasing headaches. At certain positions of the body, increased dizziness is characteristic.
Transient cerebrovascular accident and stroke are characterized by an acute onset, a combination of dizziness with impaired coordination of movements, double vision, weakness in the arms and legs, and sensory disorders.As a rule, dizziness is persistent and lasts several days.
Dizziness, accompanied by instability, a feeling of disorientation in space, aggravation of movements in the cervical spine, especially sudden ones (such as flexion, extension, and turning the head to the sides), pain and limited mobility in the cervical spine, most likely due to diseases of the cervical spine. the spine.
A pre-dizziness injury to the head or spine indicates a head injury or whiplash.
Vertigo associated with changes in body position in space most likely indicates benign positional vertigo, the presence of which is determined by a simple positional test.
Dizziness preceding a headache attack indicates a basilar migraine. Dizziness can last from a few minutes to an hour and is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, and other neurological symptoms.
Dizziness during flight, travel in a car, train or on the water is most likely the result of motion sickness.
Taking antibiotics can also cause dizziness. In this case, it is necessary to stop taking them or reduce the dose of the drug.

Most common forms and causes of vertigo

According to modern research data, dizziness is most often a symptom of the following diseases:

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and vertebrobasilar insufficiency.
Inflammation of the vestibular nerves (vestibular neuritis).
Brain tumors.
Psychogenic dizziness.
Meniere’s disease.
Basilar migraine.

It should be noted that more than 80% of cases of true dizziness are associated with BPPV.

Below we will consider the main diseases that accompany dizziness, as well as the characteristics of dizziness in each case.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is one of the most common forms of true vertigo.The name of this disease is deciphered as follows: “benign” means a favorable, not dangerous course of the disease, “paroxysmal” means the appearance of dizziness suddenly, “positional” means the appearance of dizziness at the moment of turning the head in a certain direction.
The reason for the development of benign positional vertigo is irritation by stones of otoliths, which are located in the semicircular canals of the inner ear, receptors of the vestibular apparatus. This disease usually occurs in people over 50-60 years old, after suffering an injury or infection, but it can occur spontaneously in a person of any age.

The main symptoms of benign positional vertigo are:

Onset of severe dizziness when throwing back the head, when turning the head to the side, when bending over, when turning in bed.
Duration of severe dizziness – from several seconds to several minutes, it may be accompanied by weakness, severe nausea, vomiting.
A series of dizziness attacks may occur, after which they may disappear for a while.

Treatment of benign positional vertigo is performed under the supervision of a neuropathologist using a special exercise, which is partially described below (Complex No. 1). The effectiveness of this exercise reaches 90%, and the duration is only 1-2 minutes.

Psychogenic dizziness

Psychogenic dizziness ranks second after BPPV in prevalence.

Unlike BPPV, psychogenic dizziness is not associated with disturbances in the functioning of the vestibular apparatus, that is, it is not true dizziness.

Main characteristics of psychogenic vertigo:

Vertigo can be described as a feeling of fog in the head, confusion, fear of losing consciousness, falling, but not as a spinning of objects or the object itself.
Dizziness attacks occur spontaneously, often in stressful situations, in a confined space (transport, elevator), in crowded places.
In addition to dizziness, patients note various other symptoms that resemble some diseases of the internal organs.For example: pain and tension in muscles, in the chest, in the region of the heart, in the abdomen, feeling short of breath, sore throat or a lump in the throat, irritability, anxiety, disturbed sleep, a feeling of inner fear, tension, strong groundless concern about the state of one’s own health and health loved ones, etc.

Psychogenic dizziness can be considered as one of the most common manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD). Attacks of false dizziness are especially common in patients with anxiety disorders and panic attacks.Determining the psychogenic nature of dizziness is important for the correct prescription of treatment. Much more effective in psychogenic dizziness will be treatment that is intended to treat VSD (sedatives, psychotherapy) than treatment with specific drugs, prescribed in all cases of true dizziness.

Dizziness with migraine

Migraine is one of the most common types of headache. During a migraine attack, in some cases, there is a violation of blood circulation in those areas of the brain that control the work of the vestibular apparatus.The result is severe dizziness. Immediately after it, severe headache in the occipital region, imbalance, vomiting, noise and light intolerance may develop. Some migraine patients may experience only severe dizziness and nausea, and headaches may not be present. One of the harbingers of migraine in the future is attacks of severe dizziness, imbalance, nausea and vomiting in children, which eventually turn into typical migraine attacks.

Dizziness with Meniere’s disease

Meniere’s disease is characterized by attacks of severe dizziness, deafness (usually only in one ear), occurring periodically and gradually leading to hearing loss.
At the moment, the cause of Meniere’s disease is not known for certain. It is assumed that in certain cases, the onset of the disease may be due to trauma, viral infection, allergies.

A typical manifestation of Meniere’s disease is an acute attack of severe dizziness, lasting from several hours to several days. It is accompanied by tinnitus, a feeling of pressure inside the ear, hearing loss (in one ear), nausea, and vomiting.

Usually attacks of Meniere’s disease occur within a few hours one after another, after which they disappear for a while, but sooner or later reappear.
Dizziness with osteochondrosis, neck and head injuries, vertebrobasilar insufficiency

As mentioned above, for the balance control system to work, sensitive receptors of the bones, ligaments, muscles, joints of the whole body and, first of all, bones, muscles, ligaments of the neck are required.

Degenerative diseases of the cervical spine (including osteochondrosis) are one of the most common causes of dizziness, described by patients as an unstable gait, in very rare cases as a feeling of dizziness.

With osteochondrosis of the spine, not only the normal functioning of the sensitive receptors of the neck is disrupted, but blood circulation through the vertebral arteries located in the brain stem, which supply blood to the parts of the brain that are responsible for the functions of balance and maintaining the position of the body in space, can also be impaired.

A chronic circulatory disorder that occurs in the lower parts of the brain (vertebrobasilar basin) is called vertebrobasilar insufficiency.A certain role in the development of vertebrobasilar insufficiency is played by a long-term increase in blood pressure (hypertension) and atherosclerosis of the neck vessels. Most often, vertebrobasilar insufficiency is observed in the elderly. In addition to dizziness, this disease is accompanied by the following symptoms: headache (mainly in the back of the head), tinnitus, memory loss.

Acute circulatory disorders in the vertebrobasilar basin are manifested by severe dizziness, loss of consciousness, vomiting, double vision, weakness.

Injuries to the head and cervical spine (especially from car accidents) can also cause dizziness. Trauma-provoked dizziness is usually most pronounced in the first days after the injury, it gradually decreases as the patient recovers.

Dizziness with brain tumors

In some cases, brain tumors located near the inner ear can cause severe, progressive dizziness.In addition to dizziness, symptoms of a tumor can be:

headache
tinnitus
Hearing impairment (most often in one ear)
nausea
strabismus or paralysis of the muscles of the face

As a symptom of a brain tumor, dizziness is most common in children and young people.

Dizziness with vestibular neuritis

Vestibular neuritis is an inflammation of the vestibular nerve that conducts impulses to the brain from receptors in the inner ear.With inflammation, the vestibular nerve temporarily loses its ability to conduct impulses. This is manifested by severe dizziness, unsteady gait, nausea and vomiting.

The main cause of vestibular neuritis is viral infections. Therefore, the attacks of dizziness associated with it may be accompanied by fever, runny nose, cough, and weakness. Often, true dizziness is combined with psychovegetative disorders, such as: nausea, vomiting, sweating, pallor, anxiety.This is due to the close connection between the vestibular and autonomic systems. Any damage to the vestibular system will immediately lead to autonomic disorders. Despite the feeling of fear that accompanies almost any attack of dizziness, it in itself is not a life-threatening condition. Timely and correct diagnosis of the disease that caused the dizziness is important.

Dizziness during pregnancy

Quite often during pregnancy, there is a false dizziness, which is manifested by a feeling of instability, weakness, near fainting.In pregnant women, dizziness attacks are usually associated with a decrease in blood glucose concentration and with hypotension.

For the treatment of dizziness in pregnant women, the following recipe is effective: 1-2 tbsp. Dissolve tablespoons of sugar in a glass of warm boiled water, drink in the morning after waking up or before leaving the house.

Pregnant women (especially in the first half of pregnancy) should always carry water with them. When the first signs of dizziness appear, you should try to drink as much as possible.

What symptoms are not diagnosed as dizziness?

As it becomes clear from the above, the term dizziness has a rather narrow medical interpretation: a false sensation about one’s own rotation or about the rotation of the surrounding world. A number of other symptoms that are not actually dizziness are often mistaken for dizziness:

Weakness, feeling unsteady, confused legs, nausea
Feeling of unstable gait, imbalance
Darkening of the eyes as a result of a sudden rise to the feet from a lying or sitting position
Feeling of nearness fainting, loss of consciousness
Veil before the eyes.

A patient suffering from dizziness at a doctor’s appointment should tell as accurately as possible about his health, try to describe his condition, the symptoms observed, and not just tell the doctor that he is suffering from “dizziness”. The plan for further examination and treatment depends on the accuracy of the patient’s description of the symptoms he has.

Unlike true dizziness, as it was said, which is a consequence of a disturbance in the activity of the balance system, false dizziness, described by patients as a feeling of instability, darkening in the eyes, weakness and veils before the eyes, can be a sign of vascular dystonia, anemia, chronic fatigue, hypotension ( low blood pressure), hypovitaminosis.Also, dizziness can be confused with episodes of lipotimia (a sharp decrease in muscle tone with strong physical exertion), fainting, short-term seizures of epilepsy.

Special attention should be paid to the sudden attacks of weakness and dizziness in patients with diabetes mellitus. For this category of patients, weakness and dizziness can be a sign of a dangerous decrease in blood glucose levels.

How does the human balance system work?

True (central, systemic) dizziness is most often a manifestation of various diseases of the system that provides balance and control over the position of the human body in space.

The components of this system are:

Vestibular apparatus, which is located in the thickness of the skull, where there are sensory receptors that respond to the linear or angular acceleration of the human body in space.
Eyes that provide visual information about the location of the human body, as well as its individual parts in space in relation to other objects.
Proprioceptors (sensory receptors), which are located in the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments of a person, providing accurate information about the position of individual parts of the human body in space, as well as relative to each other.

Simultaneously, all three components of the system (vestibular apparatus, eyes, proprioceptors) send data to the brain. In certain areas of the brain, this information is analyzed, after which it is processed into a person’s ideas about how his body is located in space and in relation to surrounding objects.

When data that comes from one of the sources (for example, irritation of the receptors of the vestibular apparatus at rest) is distorted for any reason, an incorrect idea of the position of the body in space and its movement is formed in the brain.In this case, an illusory feeling arises that the body moves and rotates at the moment when in fact it is motionless.

The reasons that lead to the disruption of the balance system are different. Today, there are more than 80 diseases, the symptoms of which are dizziness. This article will cover only the most common ones.

When should I see a doctor immediately if I feel dizzy?

In all cases of dizziness accompanied by the following symptoms, consult a doctor as soon as possible:

Severe headache and muscle weakness in the arms or legs.
Severe dizziness that lasts more than an hour.
Severe dizziness arising in a patient with hypertension or diabetes mellitus.
The patient fell and was injured as a result of dizziness.
The patient lost consciousness as a result of dizziness.
Elevated temperature.
Persistent vomiting.

What to do if you feel dizzy?

If dizziness occurs, it is recommended to consult a neurologist.Establishing the exact cause of dizziness and prescribing the correct treatment requires a comprehensive examination of a therapist, neuropathologist, endocrinologist, and otolaryngologist.

If dizziness develops acutely and there is speech impairment, weakness or awkwardness in the limbs, double vision, numbness or other sensory disorders, you should immediately call a doctor. It will be most correct to lie down before the doctor arrives and measure your blood pressure. If the pressure is increased, no measures should be taken to reduce it abruptly.Remember: in most cases, lowering blood pressure below normal is more dangerous than raising it. Do not take medications without talking to your doctor.

Tests that help establish the diagnosis

Neuropathologists, otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists are engaged in diagnostics of diseases with dizziness and their treatment. In order to clarify the cause of dizziness and prescribe the correct treatment, the patient undergoes a number of examinations:

examination by an ophthalmologist,
X-ray of the skull and cervical spine,
Doppler ultrasound of the main arteries of the head,
computed tomography (CT) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR),
audiographic examination.

Diet in the treatment of vertigo

Due to the fact that in some diseases that are accompanied by dizziness, there is an excess of filling fluid in the inner ear (for example, hydrops of the inner ear, Meniere’s disease), it is recommended that a number of dietary restrictions be observed in order to remove excess fluid from the body for these patients:

Restriction in the consumption of salty foods and table salt (no more than 2 g per day).
Restriction in fluid consumption (no more than 1.5 liters per day).
Exclusion of tobacco and alcohol.
Restriction of consumption of chocolate, tea, coffee.

Rules for the arrangement of the life of a patient prone to dizziness

Except for those cases when dizziness is a sign of a dangerous disease (for example, a brain tumor), it does not pose a particular danger to human life. But its consequences can be very dangerous, for example, injuries as a result of falls.Patients suffering from chronic forms of dizziness are recommended to secure their place of work and home according to the following principles:

Cover the floors with soft carpets that do not have folds or kinks to trip over.
In the bathroom, install the shelf with accessories in an easily accessible place, which you can reach without getting up, glue special non-slip rubber pads to the bottom of the bathroom.
In the shower cubicle, install handrails and a chair where you can shower while seated.
Equip existing staircases in the house with double-sided handrails. When climbing stairs, always hold on to them, even if at this moment your head is not dizzy.
Place the night light on your bedside table so that you can turn it on without getting out of bed.
If possible, place the phone near the bed so that you can reach it without getting up.
Getting out of bed, take your time, get up with caution, sit on the bed for 1-2 minutes and only when you feel normal, get up completely.
Avoid activities requiring balance and precise control of body position in space (active sports games, cycling).

Exercises to treat vertigo

Certain types of vertigo (eg, benign positional vertigo) are successfully treated with specific exercises.

Complex No. 1.

Sit on the floor with your legs extended and look in front of you.
Lie quickly on your back, quickly turn onto your left side, continuing to look in front of you.
Quickly roll over onto your right side, then just as quickly roll over onto your back, and then return to a sitting position.

Fast execution of the exercise is very important in this case. This is necessary to maintain the healing effect. Before doing the exercise at a fast pace, do it several times, slowly, slowly, memorizing the order of movements.

Complex No. 2.

Standing position, look in front of you. Turn to the left (around the left heel), turn to the right (around the right heel).

Complex No. 3.

Sitting in a chair, lean forward quickly and look at the floor. You also quickly straighten, turning your head to the left.
Repeat the exercise once more, while turning the head to the right.
Quickly turn your head to the left, then to the right. Repeat three times.
Bend over quickly while looking at the floor. Then quickly straighten up, keep your head straight.
Quickly nod your head three times, bringing your chin to your chest.

It is necessary to repeat these exercises 2-3 times a day for 3-4 months in the safest calm environment, having previously agreed on the possibility of their implementation with the attending physician.

In the first time after the start of exercise, an increase in dizziness may occur, but continuation of regular exercise it decreases very quickly and gradually disappears.

90,000 Dizziness: symptoms, treatment, causes

Dizziness (another name – vertigo) – this is how the disorientation of the body relative to the surrounding space is determined. In this state, a person has the feeling that everything revolves around him: a room, objects, walls. For everyone who is overtaken by dizziness, it causes different sensations – a feeling of intoxication, faintness, instability.

The number of reasons that cause dizziness exceeds 80. Some part of these reasons can be present in the patient at the same time, which makes it very difficult to establish the true source of dizziness. In most cases, dizziness occurs against the background of fairly harmless things: a person is seasick in transport, he has not eaten for a long time or is overworked. However, there are cases when dizziness indicates the presence of a serious medical condition.

Classification

Currently, it is customary to distinguish two groups into which dizziness is divided.

Central dizziness – occurs with diseases of the brain and disturbances in its work.
Peripheral – referred to when the inner ear and vestibular nerve are irritated, or there are signs of damage.

A separate group is systemic and non-systemic, i.e. physiological dizziness.

In case of disruption of the vestibular, visual and muscular systems of a person, they speak of systemic dizziness.This condition requires a very thorough diagnosis and complex treatment.

Non-systemic vertigo has completely different causes – neurogenic. This can be stress, and a lack of glucose in the blood, which leads to fasting or improper diet, and overwork. Children start to feel dizzy due to long rides on the merry-go-round, many people experience dizziness attacks due to motion sickness on public or sea transport. This condition is based on no serious reasons, and soon everything goes away.

Well, for those people who have attacks of vertigo against the background of any diseases, it is necessary to undergo a special examination to clarify the true cause.

Types of dizziness in various diseases

If dizziness is caused by a disease, then it will be accompanied by the corresponding symptoms of a particular disease. Now we will consider the characteristic signs for some diseases that can cause attacks of vertigo in a person.

Diseases of the inner ear and inflammation in it. Here, in addition to dizziness, the patient will have specific discharge from the ears and reduced hearing sensitivity. The formation of sulfur plugs in the ear canals is also one of the reasons for dizziness.

If a person has Meniere’s Disease, attacks of dizziness are quite strong and frequent. In addition, other symptoms are observed: hearing deteriorates, there is a noise in the ear, vomiting or nausea appears.

With vestibular neuritis, dizziness is usually worse if the person stands up suddenly or turns his head.

Brain hemorrhage or stroke. One of the most dangerous causes of dizziness. A person’s head begins to spin sharply, and this state lasts for a long time. Along with an attack of vertigo, weakness appears, speech is impaired, there is no sensitivity in the muscles, coordination and vision are impaired.

For dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis, intensification during head movement is characteristic.There may also be an unstable gait, loss of orientation, pain in the neck.

Such a source of dizziness as the formation of a tumor in the brain is characterized by gradually increasing attacks of vertigo, with severe headaches and the development of one-sided deafness.

Persistent tinnitus, dizziness and severe hearing loss on one side are symptoms of perilymphatic fistula.

Weakness and nausea, coupled with dizziness, occur after spinal injury and traumatic brain injury.

If the attacks of dizziness are aggravated by the fact that the person has changed the position of the body, then we are talking about benign positional vertigo.

Basilar migraine – the head begins to spin long before the attack of the migraine itself, there are also neurological symptoms: nausea, darkening of the eyes, tinnitus, vomiting.

With some drugs, dizziness can occur as a side effect. It passes after the drug is discontinued.

Dizziness with menstruation and menopause

Women have their own reasons for vertigo. They are associated with hormonal changes in the body during PMS, menopause or pregnancy. The rapid loss of hemoglobin by the female body on critical days often leads to anemia and a lack of oxygen in the brain. It is these reasons that lead to the occurrence of dizziness, depression, a sharp change in mood. With the advent of menopause, a woman’s body undergoes serious changes, which are accompanied by pressure surges and increased excitability of the autonomic nervous system.

Dizziness in the elderly

The causes of dizziness in the elderly should be highlighted in a separate row. Age-related changes in the vestibular and cardiovascular systems, in the central nervous system, the nerves of the skull, and the brain stem – all this leads to attacks of vertigo.

First Aid

In case of severe attacks of dizziness, the victim must be given first aid. A person should take a horizontal position, take a few drops (8-10) of 0.1% atropine solution.And, of course, you shouldn’t forget about the supply of fresh air. In some cases, it may be necessary to relieve nervous tension with sedatives or tranquilizers.

Further assistance should be provided by a physician. Only a specialist can identify the cause of dizziness and prescribe an effective treatment. It is quite possible that to find out a more complete picture of the disease and an accurate diagnosis, you will need to consult different doctors: therapist, neurologist, endocrinologist, otolaryngologist.

Medicines and preparations

Having established the cause of the dizziness, the doctor draws up a treatment plan. In most cases, it is complex and consists of taking medications to treat the underlying disease and relieve attacks of vertigo. For these purposes, sedatives, antihistamines and antiemetics are prescribed.

Treatment with folk remedies

Fans of alternative medicine and folk remedies have their own recipes for relieving attacks of dizziness.Effective in these cases are considered: ginger tea, carrot, beetroot and pomegranate juices. Drinking small servings of parsley seed tea throughout the day will stop the attack. Tea is brewed at the rate – 1 teaspoon of seeds for one glass of boiling water – and infused for 6-8 hours. Mint, lemon balm, linden blossom – teas made from these medicinal plants also have a positive effect in the treatment of vertigo.

Dizziness attacks, as such, do not pose any threat to human life.However, in some cases, they can talk about serious illnesses. And therefore, if, along with dizziness, symptoms such as severe headache, loss of sensitivity in the limbs, incoherent speech, confusion are observed, you should urgently call an ambulance.

Primary appointment of a neurologist: 1850 R.