Dizziness

If you were a kid and used to spin around in circles with your buddies, you may have enjoyed the dizziness. Although it may have been enjoyable at the time, this emotion is rarely as pleasurable as it is as an adult.

Many of us experience dizziness or light-headedness from time to time, whether we stand up too abruptly from the couch or skip a meal. Although occasional dizziness isn’t cause for concern, if frequent or chronic dizzy spells are interfering with your everyday activities, you should see your doctor.

Dizziness is a term that describes a variety of symptoms such as faintness, wooziness, weakness, or unsteadiness. Vertigo is a type of dizziness that gives the impression that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving. Dizzy episodes or continuous dizziness can have a big impact on your life. It could be accompanied with nausea, or it could be so abrupt and strong that you have to sit or lie down. The incident could last seconds or days, and it could happen again. Adults see their doctors for a variety of reasons, including dizziness. Dizzy episodes or continuous dizziness can have a big impact on your life. However, dizziness is rarely a life-threatening condition.

The reason for your dizziness and the symptoms you’re experiencing will determine how you’re treated. Although it is usually effective, the issue may reoccur.

Symptoms of Dizziness

People who are dizzy may experience a variety of sensations, including:

• Lightheadedness
• False sensation of spinning
• Unsteadiness
• Loss of equilibrium
• Floating or swimming sensation

Nausea, vomiting, or fainting are common side effects of dizziness. If you have these symptoms over an extended period of time, get immediate medical attention.

Causes of Dizziness

• Benign positional vertigo: It occurs when little calcium deposits, or stones, inside your inner ear canal become free or migrate to locations they shouldn’t, such as the semicircular canal. The stones shift as you move your head in particular ways, causing dizziness. This is usually caused by a head injury of some kind.
• Inner ear infections: Intense, continuous vertigo can be caused by a viral infection of the inner ear or vestibular nerve. Dizziness can also be caused by bacteria from an ear infection or meningitis.
• Ménière’s disease: This is a chronic inner ear illness that causes increasing deafness as well as recurrent vertigo attacks.

The above are the three most prevalent causes of dizziness. A staggering 93 percent of all patient presentations are due to these diseases.

Other Potential Causes

• Dehydration
• Migraines (such as vestibular migraines)
• Motion sickness
• Medications
• Decrease in blood volume
• Anemia
• Hypoglycemia
• Hypothyroidism
• Neck or cervical ailment/infection
• Pregnancy

When to see a doctor?

If you have dizziness on a regular basis, you should see a doctor. If you develop abrupt dizziness and the following symptoms, call your doctor right once.

• Head injury
• Persistent headache
• Neck ache
• High fever
• Blurred sight
• Temporary hearing loss
• Difficulty communicating
• Numbness
• Drooping of mouth or facial muscles
• Loss of consciousness
• Chest pain
• Vomiting and nausea

Diagnosis

A comprehensive evaluation from a professional is required to identify whether it is related to the inner ear or not, which may involve an audiogram and electronystagmogram (ENG/VNG) to assess hearing and balance. Additional tests, including blood tests and imaging examinations like a CT scan or MRI, may be ordered based on the results. The diagnostic facilities and team at Medica’s ENT department is one of the best in the region. Our experienced doctors and support staff will help you with your diagnosis and further enable the right clinical care to provide you with a solid remedy.

Treatment

The therapy of vertigo is determined by the underlying cause. Some types of vertigo go away on their own, but others may need treatment for an underlying issue. Antibiotics or drugs to treat symptoms such as nausea and motion sickness may be prescribed by a doctor. Medications may be used to treat chronic conditions like migraines or Ménière’s illness.

When the underlying cause of dizziness is addressed, most episodes of dizziness resolve on their own. Dizziness might be an indication of a more serious health concern in rare circumstances.

When dizziness causes fainting or a loss of balance, it can lead to consequences. When a person is driving or operating heavy machinery, this can be very dangerous. If you’re starting to feel dizzy, proceed with caution. If you become dizzy while driving, pull over immediately or find a safe location to rest until the dizziness passes.