Symptoms of Dizziness
Symptoms of Dizziness
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What're the symptoms of dizziness?
Dizziness is a common symptom of balance disorders, which affect about nine percent of people who are older than 65. Balance disorders are a common cause of falls among older Americans still living at home; about 25 percent of older Americans fall each year. Balance disorders also can lead to difficulty walking, a loss of interest in everyday or leisure
activities, and fatigue. Careful attention to symptoms can help determine the underlying cause of the dizziness. Underlying problems may be benign and easily treated or they may be dangerous and in need of intensive therapy.
The symptoms of syncope include dimmed vision, loss of coordination, confusion, lightheadedness, and sweating. These symptoms can lead to a brief loss of consciousness or fainting. They are related to a reduced flow of blood to the brain; they often occur when a person is standing up and can be relieved by sitting or lying down. Vertigo is characterized by a sensation of spinning or turning, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, headache, or fatigue. An individual may have trouble walking, remaining coordinated, or keeping balance. Nonsyncope nonvertigo dizziness is characterized by a feeling of being off balance that becomes worse if the individual tries moving or performing detail-intense tasks.
A person may experience dizziness for many reasons. Syncope is associated with low blood pressure, heart problems, and disorders in the autonomic nervous system, the system of involuntary functions such as breathing. Syncope may also arise from emotional distress, pain, and other reactions to outside stressors. Nonsyncope nonvertigo dizziness may be caused by rapid breathing, low blood sugar, or migraine headache, as well as by more serious medical conditions.
Diet may cause dizziness. The role of diet may be direct, as through alcohol intake. It may be also be indirect, as through arteriosclerosis caused by a high-fat diet. Some people experience a slight dip in blood sugar and mild dizziness if they miss a meal, but this condition is rarely dangerous unless the person is diabetic. Food sensitivities or allergies can also be a cause of dizziness. Chronic conditions such as heart disease and serious acute problems such as seizures and strokes can cause dizziness. However, such conditions usually exhibit other characteristic symptoms.
In general, symptoms of dizziness are easily to be detected. Visual symptoms include poor depth perception, blurred or double vision, glare, and moving or flickering lights. Audio Symptoms include impaired hearing, distracting sound distortions, such as buzzing, clicking, popping, or ringing, and discomfort in loud environments.Other Symptoms include motion sickness, persistent or intermittent nausea poor memory, confusion, clumsiness, muscle and joint pain, slurred speech, extreme fatigue, and increased sensitivity to changes in temperature, air pressure, and wind currents.
All information is intended for reference only. Please consult your physician for accurate medical advices and treatment. Copyright 2005, health-cares.net, all rights reserved. Last update: July 18, 2005
