Dizziness is defined as disorientation in space; a sense of unsteadiness; a feeling of movement within the head such as giddiness or a swimming sensation; lightheadedness; or a whirling sensation. Dizziness changes your sense of balance and can increase your risk of falling.
There are three main types of dizziness:
- Faintness/lightheadedness
- Vertigo
- Disequilibrium
What is the difference between faintness and vertigo?
Faintness is the feeling of a lack of strength with a sensation of impending loss of consciousness. An impairment of circulation is a common cause; blood loss or dehydration, as well as heart problems, can impair circulation. However, low blood sugar, low oxygen levels in the blood, acute infections, and drug reactions can also cause lightheadedness.
Vertigo is a sensation of spinning or whirling, or a hallucination that the room is spinning. Disequilibrium is a feeling of falling to one side or the other. It causes a loss of balance.
What can cause dizziness?
Since mechanisms for maintaining balance are so complex, finding the exact cause of dizziness is often difficult and requires input from several medical specialties. Dizziness can be caused by a problem associated with the inner ear, brain, or heart.
What can cause vertigo?
Vertigo tends to have a specific cause. The vestibular system in the inner ear senses changes in the position of the head. Disorders of the vestibular system, or of the nerve supply of the vestibular system, or of the areas of the brain that interpret this information, result in the sensation of spinning. Headaches, specifically types of migraines, are another common cause of vertigo.
- Meniere's Disease – This problem is associated with the fluid balance-regulating system in the ear. Symptoms include episodic attacks of tinnitus (ringing in the ear), ear fullness, hearing loss, and severe attacks of vertigo accompanied by nausea and vomiting. This condition can be treated with changes in diet and medications. Surgery may be recommended if medical treatment is not successful.
- Benign positional vertigo – Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is a disorder in which changing your head position with respect to gravity leads to sudden vertigo—a feeling that the room is spinning around. The vertigo can vary in its intensity from mild to severe, usually lasts for less than one minute, and may be accompanied by other symptoms, including dizziness, lightheadedness, a sense of imbalance, nausea, and vomiting.
- Vestibular neuritis (labyrinthitis) – This condition is caused by the inflammation of the nerve cells in the balance portion of the inner ear. The main symptom is sudden onset of sustained vertigo. Treatments include medications to relieve symptoms of dizziness and nausea as well as balance rehabilitation.
- Autoimmune inner ear disease – This condition is more common in people who have other autoimmune diseases such as lupus and arthritis. Symptoms include sudden hearing loss in both ears. Medical treatment includes tapered steroid therapy over one or two months.
- Perilymph fistula – This disorder may occur after a sudden change in barometric pressure, such as that experienced in airplane landings. The change in pressure can cause a rupture in one of the membranes that separate the middle and inner ear. Symptoms include hearing loss, vertigo, lightheadedness, and ear pressure. Often the rupture heals on its own. If it does not heal, surgery may be required.
- Dizziness due to aging – Common symptoms of dizziness associated with aging include lightheadedness, a spinning sensation, giddiness, wooziness, or unsteadiness. Forty percent of patients over age 60 have experienced dizziness severe enough to affect their daily activities. Age-related dizziness can be minimized by making lifestyle changes such as:
- Sitting on edge of the bed for several minutes before standing
- Turning or changing positions slowly
- Never walking in the dark and using a night light or turning on a light before entering a room
- Keeping medical conditions under control
- Using a cane or walker for more severe problems
How can these conditions be treated?
In general, finding the cause of dizziness is very helpful in deciding how to treat it. Faintness/lightheadedness can be treated by treating its underlying cause. For example, if vomiting and diarrhea are causing a person to become dehydrated, then rehydrating the person will alleviate the dizziness. Likewise, treating the underlying heart condition or anemia will fix the problem for those conditions.
When should I see my doctor?
Any symptoms of dizziness should be discussed with your primary care provider. Specialists in dizziness at Cleveland Clinic may help in more complicated cases.
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This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 1/3/2008...6422
