Dizziness
Dizziness can be caused by many
different things such as loss of blood to the brain (when standing up too fast),
hyperventilation, medications/medication interactions, high blood pressure,
diabetes, anxiety, and the most common cause is inner ear dysfunction.
The word “dizziness” can be
used to describe many symptoms such as feeling faint, lightheaded, loss of
balance, unsteady, swimmy headed, vertigo etc. The meaning of vertigo is a
sense that the room or you are spinning, which is the most common symptom
associated with an inner ear problem. The inner ear consists of the balance
organs and the hearing organs. Along with the balance organs, the balance
system consists of the brain, brainstem, eyes and sense of touch. Many times
when an individual experiences dizziness the otolaryngologist or the audiologist
will recommend a test called
electronystagmography (ENG).
One of the top ten reason
individuals see their physician is dizziness or loss of balance. Typically
30-40% of population will have an episode of dizziness in their lifetime, which
increases as individuals get older. It is important to remember that dizziness
is not normal. If you experience regular or consistent forms of dizziness/loss
of balance then you should consult your physician or audiologist.
Many inner ear problems can be
treated either medically or by
balance therapy.
There are many balance disorders that require clinical care by a physician or other healthcare professional. Listed in the directory below are some of the conditions, for which we have provided a brief overview.
If you cannot find the condition in which you are interested, please visit the Otolaryngology Online Resources page in this Web site for an Internet/World Wide Web address that may contain additional information on that topic.
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