People use the term dizziness to describe many sensations. You might feel faint, unsteady, or as if your body or surroundings are spinning. Dizziness has many possible causes, including inner ear conditions, motion sickness and medicine side effects. You can he bouts of dizziness at any age. But as you get older, you become more sensitive or prone to its causes.
Dizziness can make you feel:
Lightheaded, as though you might pass out. Less steady or at risk of losing balance. Like you or your surroundings are spinning or moving, also known as vertigo. A sense of floating, swimming or hey-headedness.Often, dizziness is a short-term issue that goes away without treatment. If you see your healthcare professional, try to describe:
Your specific symptoms. How the dizziness makes you feel as it is coming on and after it has passed. What seems to trigger it. How long it lasts.This information helps your healthcare professional find and treat the cause of your dizziness.
The causes of dizziness are as varied as the ways it makes people feel. It can result from something as simple as motion sickness — the queasy feeling that you get on twisting roads and roller coasters. Or it could be due to various other treatable health conditions or medicine side effects. Very rarely, dizziness may stem from infection, injury or conditions that reduce blood flow to the brain. Sometimes healthcare professionals can't find a cause.
In general, dizziness that happens without any other symptoms is not likely to be a symptom of a stroke.
In general, see your healthcare professional if you he any dizziness or vertigo that:
Keeps coming back. Starts suddenly. Disrupts daily life. Lasts a long time. Has no clear cause.Get emergency medical care if you he new, severe dizziness or vertigo along with any of the following:
Pain such as a sudden, severe headache or chest pain. Rapid or irregular heartbeat. Loss of feeling or movement in the arms or legs, stumbling or trouble walking, or loss of feeling or weakness in the face. Trouble breathing. Fainting or seizures. Trouble with the eyes or ears, such as double vision or a sudden change in hearing. Confusion or slurred speech. Ongoing vomiting.In the meantime, these self-care tips may help:
Move slowly. When you stand up from lying down, move slowly. Many people become dizzy if they stand up too quickly. If that happens, sit or lie down until the feeling passes. Drink plenty of fluids. Stay hydrated to help prevent or relieve various types of dizziness. Limit caffeine and alcohol, and don't use tobacco. By restricting blood flow, these substances can make symptoms worse. Show References Walls RM, et al., eds. Dizziness and vertigo. In: Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Elsevier; 2023. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed April 4, 2024. Dizziness and vertigo. Merck Manual Professional Version. https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/ear-nose-and-throat-disorders/approach-to-the-patient-with-ear-problems/dizziness-and-vertigo. Accessed April 4, 2024. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). ENThealth. https://www.enthealth.org/conditions/benign-paroxysmal-positional-vertigo-bppv/. Accessed April 4, 2024. Flint PW, et al., eds. Peripheral vestibular disorders. In: Cummings Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery. 7th ed. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed April 4, 2024. Kellerman RD, et al. Dizziness and vertigo. In: Conn's Current Therapy 2024. Elsevier; 2024. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed April 4, 2024. Barton JJS. Approach to the patient with dizziness. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 4, 2024. Heat injury and heat exhaustion. OrthoInfo. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/heat-injury-and-heat-exhaustion. Accessed April 4, 2024. Vertigo. National Health Service. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vertigo/. Accessed April 15, 2024. Moskowitz HS, et al. Meniere disease: Evaluation, diagnosis, and management. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 4, 2024. Migraine. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/migraine. Accessed April 4, 2024. Carbon monoxide poisoning: Frequently asked questions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/co/faqs.htm. Accessed April 4, 2024. Medical review (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. April 25, 2024. Facts about falls. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/falls/facts.html. Accessed April 4, 2024. Sept. 26, 2024Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/dizziness/basics/causes/sym-20050886