Dizziness And Vertigo: What are you Feeling?
Have you ever found yourself standing perfectly straight one minute and then felt as if the world was spinning around you the next minute? This is what dizziness feels like, which is very common, especially in adults.Â
However, you may not know that vertigo is also a serious dizziness-related condition and is incredibly common in adults.Â
- Vertigo can be triggered by certain head movements, like looking up or rolling over in bed.
- Chronic dizziness can sometimes stem from prolonged screen time, especially without proper breaks.
- Some cases of dizziness are linked to allergies that affect the inner ear’s equilibrium.
- Balance training exercises, like Tai Chi, are effective in reducing dizziness episodes.
- Hormonal changes, such as those during menopause or pregnancy, can also cause dizziness
So the question arises: how are these two different, and how can you treat them? Well, keep reading and get all the answers related to dizziness today.Â
What Is Dizziness?
You may think that dizziness is the same for everybody, but this is not the case. The dizziness changes according to the situation and people. It is even associated with other life-threatening conditions such as cardiovascular diseases or stroke. But even on its own, dizziness can be dangerous and lead to falling, especially if you are standing.Â
When you get dizzy, you may feel:
- Unsteady
- Faint
- Lightheaded
- Woozy
- NauseousÂ
The symptoms mentioned above can worsen over time if you do not get the proper treatment and may even last for days. The treatment for this problem depends entirely on your symptoms and the cause, so read below to learn more about the causes of dizziness and how it can be treated.
Difference Between Dizziness And Vertigo
Dizziness and vertigo are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. These terms describe two different types of feelings and even have different causes.Â
Dizziness is when you feel off balance and find it difficult to move. People who suffer from this can stagger while walking and even feel like they will fall down.Â
Vertigo is a type of sensation with dizziness as a symptom. During vertigo, you may feel like your surroundings or move. You may also feel a spinning or tipping sensation; similar to dizziness, vertigo also affects your balance.Â
A person having vertigo can also experience other symptoms, such as vomiting or nausea.Â
What Are The Main Causes Of Dizziness?
Dizziness has many reasons. How you feel and what triggered it helps determine the reason behind it. Sometimes it can be due to underlying health issues such as an injury, infection, or poor blood circulation.Â
How long the symptoms of dizziness last helps doctors to figure out the cause behind it. Keep reading to discover how dizziness occurs and how it can be treated.Â
Ear Problems
It is common knowledge that the liquid in your ear is responsible for your sense of balance. The ear detects back-and-forth motions and has sensors that figure out gravity. However, your sensory nerves and eyes also play an important role in your balance; the eyes help you see where you are and how to move.Â
The sensory nerves send messages to your brain about the body’s position and movements. When you have an ear disorder, your brain receives wrong signals that are not consistent with what your sensory nerves and eyes are receiving, so you may feel dizzy.Â
Four ear disorders can lead to dizziness and vertigo; these include:Â
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV
 BPPV is a very brief yet intense condition that gives you a false sense of moving or spinning. It gets triggered when you move your head rapidly, such as turning over in bed or getting hit.Â
Infection
The vestibular nerve is responsible for detecting balance, and a viral infection of this nerve can lead to intense vertigo. This infection is known as vestibular neuritis and is a common cause of dizziness.Â
Migraine
You can also experience dizziness, vertigo, or other kinds of dizziness if you experience intense migraines. People who experience severe migraine issues can get dizzy even without a headache. Migraine-related vertigo can last for hours to even minutes and causes headaches.
Meniere’s Disease
This disease is when there is a fluid buildup in your inner ear, causing you to undergo sudden episodes of vertigo that last for hours. If you are suffering from this condition, you may also deal with hearing loss, a feeling like your ears are plugged, and even continuous ringing.Â
Circulation Issues
Another common cause of dizziness is a problem in blood circulation in your body. You can feel dizzy, off-balance, and even faint if your heart does not pump enough blood to the brain. These circulation problems include heart attack, cardiomyopathy, transient ischemic attack, or heart arrhythmia that can lead to dizziness. Also, a decrease in blood volume can lead to inadequate blood circulation to your inner ear or brain.Â
Another circulation issue is when there is a drop in blood pressure, which can cause lightheadedness, which can make you faint.Â
Other Reasons
Apart from circulation issues and ear problems, dizziness can occur from a few other reasons as well; these reasons include:
Dehydration
This is one of the most common reasons for dizziness, and many people, especially athletes, experience it. Suppose you are very active under the sun and do not drink much water or electrolytic fluids. In that case, you can easily get dizzy due to overheating or dehydration. Â
Medicines
Dizziness can also be a side effect of some medicines, such as tranquillizers, antidepressants, and even sedatives. Also, people taking medicines to lower their blood pressure can feel dizzy and faint if the pressure gets too low. Dizziness is also very common in people who are on heart medications.
Neurological Disorder
Loss of balance can also be related to neurological disorders, especially Parkinson’s disease.Â
Anaemia
As mentioned above, anaemia is directly related to poor blood circulation, a common cause of dizziness. Suppose your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells. In that case, your tissues won’t have enough oxygen, so feeling weak, dizzy, and pale skin will become common.
CO Poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning can also lead to dizziness, similar to flu symptoms. When you inhale this gas, you may get a migraine, chest pain, weakness, and dizziness.Â
Hypoglycemia
Low blood sugar is also known as hypoglycemia, and it is a diabetic condition that requires the use of insulin. Dizziness is a common symptom, usually followed by excessive sweating and extreme anxiety.Â
Low Vitamin B12
Another reason for dizziness is when your body has a deficiency of vitamins. This deficiency can lead to feeling off-balance and cause neurological problems and low blood pressure. Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to dizziness, but it is very easy to treat and detect.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a common cause of dizziness. Many people who get dizzy during their twenties may have anxiety or other mental disorders.Â
How Is Dizziness Treated?
If you get dizzy, below are some common tips you can follow to prevent it from increasing. These tips include:
- Lie down or sit right away until the dizziness stops because you can lose your balance and injure yourself
- For better stability, you can rely on a cane or even a walker
- If you experience dizziness frequently, then avoid driving yourself
- Do not move your head suddenlyÂ
- When using the stairs, take help from the handrails
- Do not use tobacco, caffeine, or alcohol
- Drink plenty of water and sleep on timeÂ
- Make use of healthy foods and drinks and incorporate vegetables and fruits into your diet
- If you think you are getting dizzy due to medication, then talk to your doctor right away
- Keep yourself cool and avoid being overheated or dehydrated
When Should You Visit The Doctor?
If the above tips do not work and you still feel dizzy, this is the perfect time to get help from the doctor. Suppose you experience dizziness along with a head injury. In that case, high fever, severe migraine, hearing loss, numbness, blurred vision, feeling unconscious, or a neck ache, then do not wait around.Â
Rush to the doctor or get checked into an emergency because this can be very dangerous for you if left untreated.Â
When you reach your doctor’s office, the first thing that they will do is ask you when the dizziness started, what the situation was like and what other symptoms you are feeling.Â
The doctor may also carry out a neurological physical exam and examine your ears and eyes to check how your balance is. If something is serious, you may be sent for an MRI or a CT Scan.Â
The treatment for dizziness includes:
- Ear problems are treated with the help of medication, cleaning of the ear, and exercises that can help you keep balance in check.Â
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo can get treated through manoeuvres. If it does not get controlled, then surgery is an effective option.Â
- Migraines can be treated with medicines and by altering your habits and lifestyle.Â
- If needed, a quick drip of an electrolyte or similar fluid can deal with severe dehydration and overheating.Â
- Anxiety disorders can be resolved through medicines and talking with a therapist.Â
- Meniere’s disease may be a very uncommon reason for dizziness. Still, the treatment requires ear surgery, a low-salt diet, or injections if it occurs.  Â
Takeaway
Dizziness is not a condition you need to be worried about because it is usually treated on its own. However, in some cases, dizziness persists and requires medical attention. When this situation arises, then visit the doctor and get yourself checked.Â
With the help of the above information, you can be prepared for when you must visit the doctor and how to treat dizziness on your own
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