Dizziness and what may be behind it
What is dizziness?
Dizziness can be a complaint in ordinary language of a change in the feeling of stability, a spinning or swaying imbalance up to the feeling of fainting. Dizziness can affect people of all ages, including children. The wavering feeling of uncertainty and dizziness occurs more in the elderly.
We're dizzy, but why?
Otorhinolaryngologists, however, prefer to understand vertigo as a rotational loss of balance originating from the inner ear, which is most often caused by free crystals in the inner ear. If these move due to a sudden change in the position of the head, a balance disorder may develop, which is unpleasant but benign. Unfortunately, many other, more serious things can be behind dizziness, for example, if it lasts for days, we can most likely suspect an inflammatory disease.
There can be a thousand reasons for wobbly vertigo, most often blood pressure fluctuations, circulation problems, atherosclerosis, cervical spine deviations, abnormal course of a cerebral vessel, vasoconstriction, hormonal changes or visual disturbances can also play a role in the development of the disease. Severe dizziness can even be the first sign of a stroke or brain tumor, so it is very important to see a doctor if you have problems with your balance.
We should not forget about the possible psychological background of dizziness either. Stress is difficult to eliminate from our lives, but we can learn how to deal with it. Sports, autogenic training, yoga, music, or perhaps a good hobby can all help with recovery, but sometimes a specialist can only provide adequate psychological support. In this way, the dizziness and feeling of uncertainty caused by stress can also be positively influenced. Anxiety can also cause imbalance, and we can also experience dizziness during panic attacks.
Heat can also affect our balance. For anyone, heat can cause discomfort, increased feelings of insecurity, and fainting is more common. It is an interesting fact that stimuli from the visual system greatly influence our balance and perception of space, so any type of balance disorder worsens in the dark.
In many cases, vertigo can be accompanied by unsteady walking, headache, blurred vision, blocked ears, vomiting, nausea, changes in heart rate, we may be close to fainting, and sudden ringing in the ears during the attack, hearing loss or other unpleasant symptoms may also occur.
After this, it is not surprising that it is often difficult to determine what is behind the dizziness. The first examining doctor has a very important role and responsibility in this, since it is difficult, but all the more important, to decide whether the background of the dizziness is a serious life-threatening condition or an unpleasant but not requiring emergency treatment. As a first step, you can contact your family doctor with milder complaints, but the exact diagnosis and further care will be the responsibility of an otolaryngologist or neurologist. However, with sudden onset of severe symptoms, it is worth using emergency care.
Dr. Csilla Miltényi first asks her patients how long the dizziness lasts, how long it lasts, whether it is rotating or swaying, whether it is influenced by a change in body position, or whether it is accompanied by accompanying symptoms. Did you have a history of balance problems? It is possible that the dizziness occurs due to a recent accident, permanent head restraint during surgery or a special uncomfortable head position during prolonged dental treatment, or an inner ear disease.
In the case of spinning vertigo, the cause determines the treatment. Simple dizziness can be improved by adequate replacement of fluid and salt, small exercises (e.g. leg raising in a lying position, neck exercises, balance exercises that can be learned from an otolaryngologist or neurologist, etc.).
Most types of vertigo can therefore be treated well with special exercises, drug treatment, and possibly psychological support. Fortunately, it is very rare that surgery is needed.
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Get to know our otolaryngologists:
Dr. Magdolna Bánki
Dr. Miklós Tóth