dizziness

dizziness, dizzy, dizzy or Vertigo are commonly known expressions for the disturbed feeling of balance or spatial orientation. Often those affected have the impression that the room around them is swaying or rotating.

What is dizziness?

Dizziness is mostly, if not e.g. by artificially induced rotation, a symptom of a disease and is almost always due to a disorder of the nervous system.

As already noted, the term dizziness stands for a disturbed perception in the surrounding space or during movements. The dizziness is often linked to imbalance.

Dizziness is mostly, if not e.g. by artificially induced rotation, a symptom of a disease and is almost always due to a disorder of the nervous system. Almost everyone has already experienced the feeling of being dizzy or dizzy and, along with headaches, is one of the most common symptoms in German general practitioners' practices. The older the patient, the more dizziness can occur.

causes

The causes of dizziness are very diverse. In addition, dizziness comes in various forms and it is not easy to diagnose it accurately. The dizziness can differ mainly in the way it is.

However, all forms of dizziness are caused by the sensory organs, which are impaired when moving. These include the tactile senses, such as somatory sensors in the muscles, the eyes and of course the balance organ in the ear, the so-called vestibular system.

The dizziness is now triggered by an imprecise or disturbed syncronization or a lack of correspondence between the recorded information.

Normal dizziness, which is not pathological and is mostly caused by external stimuli (e.g. turning quickly in a carousel), serves as a protective mechanism for the body and is intended to indicate a potential danger. Fear of heights or the well-known seasickness can also be counted as dizziness.

The second form of dizziness is usually a symptom accompanying an existing illness. For example, people may feel dizzy if they do not get enough oxygen or if they are poisoned. Changes in blood pressure, dehydration (insufficient fluid intake), heart and circulatory diseases can also cause dizziness.

The third form of vertigo is probably the most dangerous, as it usually occurs as a leading symptom of a serious illness. Above all, diseases that directly affect the organ of equilibrium cause massive attacks of dizziness. Typical diseases here can be: vestibular neuritis (inflammation of the equilibrium nerve), migraines and tumors. Likewise, drugs can cause dizziness with their side effects.

Further illnesses that have dizziness as a symptom can be found below.

You can find your medication here

➔ Medication for dizziness and circulatory problems

Diseases with this symptom

• Cardiovascular diseases
• Alcohol addiction
• Acoustic neuroma
• concussion
• Sunstroke
• stroke

• Hypotension
• Anemia
• Circulatory disorders
• Metabolic disorder
• Inner ear infection
• travel sickness

• Carotid stenosis
• Drug addiction
• high blood pressure
• Meningitis
• Meniere's disease
• Transient ischemic attack

Diagnosis & course

In order to be able to diagnose dizziness, various tests must be carried out to check the function of the balance organ. In addition, the doctor checks the hearing, as this and the organ of equilibrium are connected to one another via the identical nerve cord. The diagnosis also includes determining what type of dizziness it is.

Home remedies ↵ for dizziness The course of the vertigo is determined by the cause. If the cause can be eliminated through targeted treatment, the course of the disease has a good prognosis. In this case, the dizziness will have disappeared by the end of treatment. But there is also constant vertigo, which is often psychological and can persist for many years.

Complications

Feeling dizzy can lead to various complications. First of all, there is a risk that the dizziness will become chronic and last for weeks or months. This also increases the risk of accidents and other health problems. Permanent imbalance disorders can negatively change behavior and well-being and lead to psychological problems in the further course.

Serious complications can occur if the dizziness is caused by a serious underlying condition such as a concussion or heat stroke. Then the complaints are often accompanied by nausea and vomiting and other symptoms. Dizziness as a result of anemia is accompanied by feelings of weakness and fatigue, and general well-being usually decreases considerably.

Complications are to be expected during treatment if the therapeutic measures are not optimally tailored to the underlying disease. Medication can increase the dizziness just as much as physiotherapy or a change in lifestyle. In the course of the dizziness, for example, an acute vertigo or a positional or head-lying dizziness can develop. In most cases, however, dizziness does not cause major symptoms, provided the cause is diagnosed as quickly as possible by a doctor and treated appropriately.

When should you go to the doctor?

In most cases, there is no need to see a doctor if you feel dizzy. This is especially true if the symptom only occurs for a short time or can be directly linked to a harmless illness, such as the flu. Dizziness can also occur from the consumption of alcohol and other drugs and disappears again when the patient's condition has normalized. Many people also experience dizziness and headaches due to the weather.

A doctor should be consulted in the event of dizziness if it persists and restricts everyday life. In any case, treatment is necessary if dizziness occurs after an accident or after a blow to the head. This can be a serious injury that needs to be examined and treated by a doctor.

In most cases, however, dizziness can be combated by drinking enough fluids and resting and relaxing. In the event of an increased occurrence, it is advisable to visit a doctor. As a rule, the general practitioner can be visited first in order to find the cause of the dizziness.

Doctors & therapists in your area

Treatment & Therapy

First of all, a doctor should be consulted in the event of dizziness that is not caused by your own fault. The doctor will then conduct an interview in which the severity and timing of the vertigo are important.

The doctor will then carry out various tests for balance. The aim of these is to precisely diagnose the form and cause of the vertigo attacks. A distinction must be made here between vertigo, vertigo, and vertigo.

Once the cause has been found, the appropriate and individual treatment or therapy can begin. In the case of harmless vertigo of the first form, no major treatment methods are usually required. Appropriate medication (antivertiginous drugs) can help with motion sickness.

If dizziness is a symptom of a diagnosed disease, this should be treated primarily.

Additional possibilities such as physiotherapy, posture exercises, physiotherapy, balance exercises can also be of supportive help.

In rare cases in which the vertigo persists for many years, an operation on the organ of equilibrium may also be considered. For dizziness attacks related to psychosomatic disorders, such as anxiety disorder or panic attacks, treatment by a psychologist or psychotherapist should be resorted to. Autogenic training in particular has already helped many of those affected in the long term.

Outlook & forecast

Dizziness can be caused by many diseases, so the chances of recovery depend on the causes. Dizziness due to lack of fluids is harmless, but it can have unexpected consequences in traffic. This quite common form can be easily remedied by drinking water. If the blood is too thick, the organs, especially the brain, are no longer supplied with blood. This leads to impairments such as dizziness and impaired vision.

Dizziness comes in different forms. Even healthy people occasionally experience attacks of dizziness, for example with lack of sleep or low blood pressure. Glasses with the wrong prescription can cause similar complaints that can be easily remedied with the right lenses.

Anyone who suffers from motion sickness gets attacks of dizziness on the bus, plane or train. Pronounced symptoms can be treated with medication. Balance training gives patients more security.

If dizziness occurs for the first time for no apparent reason, a doctor should always be consulted. If headaches, tiredness, ringing in the ears, hearing problems or fever are added, this indicates organic diseases.

Sometimes dizziness is also the result of a bad cold. The patient needs patience, but the symptoms will subside over time. At an advanced age, vertigo can result from wear-related deposits in the inner ear. In this case, an internist is the right contact. Functional disorders of the balance nerves are also possible.

You can find your medication here

➔ Medication for dizziness and circulatory problems

You can do that yourself

Dizziness can have many different causes and should therefore always be clarified by a doctor. In the case of acute complaints, it helps to fix a fixed point with the eyes in order to calm the sense of sight. A medical diary can also be created to identify possible causes of the vertigo. The symptoms may be caused by mild dehydration or low blood sugar levels, which can be made up by eating and drinking.

A change in diet helps to replenish energy and vitamin stores and to regulate the circulation. Deep breaths stimulate the oxygen supply in the brain and reduce feelings of dizziness. If you have severe circulatory problems, we recommend bed rest and temporarily avoiding stimulants such as alcohol, tobacco or caffeine. Depending on the cause, breathing and massage techniques can also be used. Neck massages, for example, that loosen tense muscles and promote blood circulation have proven effective.

Yoga and autogenic training have a positive effect on the circulatory system and reduce dizziness in the long term. In addition, home remedies such as ginkgo or ginger can help against the symptoms. The amla berry provides the body with plenty of vitamins A and C, while lemons strengthen the immune system and protect against inflammatory diseases.