DIZZINESS

Dizziness Overview

Dizziness is a common description for many different feelings. The feeling of dizziness may be very familiar to you, yet difficult to describe.

Vertigo is a medical term to describe the feeling of spinning, whirling, or motion either of yourself or your surroundings. This is the same feeling you might have after getting off a merry-go-round or spinning in place. Several diseases of the balance organs of the inner ear can cause vertigo, or it may be a symptom of a tumor or stroke.

* Dizziness may be just mildly annoying or caused by something possibly life threatening.

* When you might feel dizziness

o Fainting or near fainting such as "at the sight of blood" or with emotional upset

o Fainting or near fainting from standing up too quickly or standing still too long

o Weakness during a flu, cold, or other illness

o Seasickness or motion sickness

o Queasiness, nausea, or vomiting

o Confused thinking

o Fatigue, tiredness, or daytime sleepiness

o Clumsy hands or stumbling walking