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FAMILY MEDICINE®
COLUMN
By Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Ohio University College of Osteopathic
Medicine
3429-FM
01/26/11
Dizziness means different things to
different people
Question:
Lately I have been feeling dizzy a lot.
I hate to run to the doctor for every little
thing, but this is beginning to concern me.
It happened when I was driving the car the
other day, and that was scary. When should I
go to the doctor?
Answer:
Dizziness is a term used very commonly, but
it frequently means different things to
different people—and to different doctors.
One of the first challenges in evaluating
someone who complains of dizziness is to
determine exactly what they mean by that
term.
Dizziness is used by some to mean a
light-headed feeling or a feeling of being
unsteady. It is also used to describe a
feeling like the room is spinning.
Physicians frequently use the term “vertigo”
to describe the spinning room feeling. You
should try to put how you feel into terms
that will help your doctor understand the
sensations you’re feeling.
Dizziness is not a disease in itself, but is
a symptom of many conditions. Generally,
very mild dizziness or light-headedness is
not a significant medical problem. It can
occur when you have blood drawn, when you’re
in pain, or when you stand up too quickly
after lying down. Stress and fatigue can
also cause the light-headed type of
dizziness. Many times, the cause of a mild
temporary spell of dizziness is never found.
The inner ear is the “balance center” for
the body and frequently a disturbance in
that organ system can result in dizziness.
When the inner ear is the problem, the
resulting dizziness is more severe, lasts
longer, and can be associated with nausea
and vomiting. In this situation, a change of
head position will make the dizziness worse.
Dizziness may also be associated with the
hearing loss in Meniere’s disease. Trauma to
the ear, a bacterial infection in the ear or
the sinuses, or tumors in the ear can all
present as vertigo.
Vertigo can also be caused by systemic
diseases such as atrial fibrillation,
stroke, tumor, anemia or slow heart rate due
to a blockage. Finally, some medications can
cause severe vertigo.
So, here it is in a nutshell — not all
episodes of dizziness require medical
attention, and it is not uncommon to have an
occasional dizzy spell when you are under
stress, when you’re in pain or after you’ve
suffered a minimal injury. Dizziness that is
severe can be a sign of a serious medical
condition and should be evaluated by a
physician.
Your medical history, a physical exam and
testing, such as blood tests, x-rays or CT
scans, may be necessary so that your
physician can make a diagnosis.
Most cases of dizziness from that stem from
problems in the ear system are easily
treated with rest and medications. Otherwise
the dizziness is eliminated when the
underlying cause is treated.
Family Medicine® is a weekly column. General
medical questions can be sent to Martha A.
Simpson, D.O., M.B.A., Ohio University
College of Osteopathic Medicine,
Communication Office, Athens, Ohio 45701, or
familymedicine@oucom.ohiou.edu. Please
do not send letters asking Dr. Simpson to
diagnose a condition or suggest a treatment
plan. Medical information in Family
Medicine® is provided as an educational
service only and does not replace the
judgment of your personal physician, who
should be relied on to diagnose and
recommend treatment for your medical
conditions. Past columns are available
online at
www.familymedicinenews.org.
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