Dizziness
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221526185
2008-06-24T22:02:06Z
208.113.236.112
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{{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]]
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