Dizziness 697208 221526185 2008-06-24T22:02:06Z 208.113.236.112 /* External links */ removing spam from Citizendium members {{SignSymptom infobox | Name = {{PAGENAME}} | Image = | Caption = | DiseasesDB = 17771 | ICD10 = {{ICD10|R|42||r|40}} | ICD9 = {{ICD9|780.4}} | ICDO = | OMIM = | MedlinePlus = | eMedicineSubj = neuro | eMedicineTopic = 693 | MeshName = Dizziness | MeshNumber = C10.597.751.237 | }} Many different terms are often used to describe what is collectively known as '''dizziness'''. Common descriptions include words such as lightheaded, floating, [[woozy]], giddy, confused, helpless or fuzzy. '''Vertigo''', '''disequilibrium''' and '''pre-syncope''' are the terms in use by most doctors. Dizziness is sometimes a symptom of a [[balance disorder]]. ==Vertigo== {{main|vertigo (medical)}} ''The word "vertigo" comes from the Latin "vertere", to turn + the suffix "-igo", a condition = a condition of turning about.'' [[Vertigo (medical)|Vertigo]] is a specific medical term used to describe the sensation of spinning or having the room spin about you. Most people find vertigo very disturbing and often report associated nausea and vomiting. {{Weasel-inline}} [[Otology|Otologic]] causes of vertigo: Typically if the vertigo arises from the inner ear, it is severe and has associated [[Nausea]] and vomiting. One common cause of otologic vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo [[BPPV]]. Alternate causes of vertigo originating from the inner ear include [[Ménière's disease]], [[superior canal dehiscence syndrome]] and [[labyrinthitis]]. Central nervous system causes of vertigo: If vertigo arises from the balance centers of the brain, it is typically more mild, and usually has accompanying neurologic deficits, such as slurred speech, [[double vision]] or [[nystagmus]]. Alternately, brain pathology can cause a sensation of disequilibrium which is an off-balance sensation. Often vertigo can be treated by the [[Epley maneuver]]. ==Disequilibrium== [[Equilibrioception|Disequilibrium]] is the sensation of being off balance, and is most often characterized by frequent falls in a specific direction. This condition is '''not''' often associated with nausea or vomiting. ==Pre-syncope== [[fainting|Pre-syncope]] is most often described as lightheaded or feeling faint. [[Fainting|Syncope]], by contrast, is actually fainting. Pre-syncope, or [[lightheadedness]], does not result from primary central nervous system pathology. Nor does it originate in the inner ear. It is most often cardiovascular in etiology. In many patients, lightheadedness is a symptom of [[orthostatic hypotension]]. Orthostatic hypotension occurs when the blood pressure drops significantly when the patient stands from a supine or seated position. If loss of consciousness occurs in this situation, it is termed syncope. ==External links== * [http://www.dizzytimes.com/ Dizzytimes.com] Online Community for Sufferers of Vertigo and Dizziness ==See also== * [[motion sickness]] * [[balance disorder]] * [[vertigo (medical)|Vertigo]] * [[fainting|Pre-syncope]] * [[Equilibrioception|Disequilibrium]] * [[Cefuroxime]] {{Cognition, perception, emotional state and behaviour symptoms and signs}} [[Category:Neurology]] [[Category:Otology]] [[Category:Symptoms]] [[da:Svimmelhed]] [[de:Vertigo]] [[el:Ζάλη]] [[es:vértigo]] [[fr:Vertige]] [[he:סחרחורת]] [[nl:Duizeligheid]] [[pt:Tontura]]