Dizziness can occur at any age and most people have experienced it at some point. It causes a change in the sense of balance and disorientation in space. Symptoms of dizziness include loss of balance, spinning, unsteadiness, nausea or the feeling of faintness. Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center explains that dizziness occurs when the body’s equilibrium or state of balance is upset. Causes of many forms of dizziness include diet, allergies, infection and disease.
Lightheadedness
Lightheadedness is a form of dizziness that causes feelings of faintness or unsteadiness. It can result from tobacco, alcohol, illness, allergies, dehydration or standing too quickly, among other more serious conditions. This form of dizziness occurs when there is not enough blood distributed to the brain or a sudden drop in blood pressure occurs, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Lightheadedness commonly affects the elderly and quickly goes away. If the problem persists, it can be a sign of a more serious medical condition such as anemia or diabetes.
Presyncope
Presyncope is a type of dizziness that causes a disturbance in balance and a loss of consciousness. It commonly occurs before a syncopal episode, which is a full temporary loss of consciousness. The condition may result from changes of blood volume to the brain or an irregular cardiac rate, explains the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. A drop in blood pressure that causes presyncope may occur from standing too quickly or may be due to a serious medical condition. Symptoms of presyncope include feeling faint, loss of balance, muscular weakness, confusion and blurred vision.
Vertigo
Vertigo refers to a disturbance in balance or a sensation of spinning. The sensations can occur at anytime and last for hours or even years. The symptoms of vertigo can be debilitating and include spinning, blurred vision, nausea, lack of balance and disturbed coordination. The condition is associated with problems in the inner ear or with the central nervous system. The Baylor College of Medicine reports that the ear is responsible for 50-60 percent of the known causes of dizziness and when vertigo lasts for several hours it tends to occur with inner ear disorders.
Many of the body’s balancing mechanisms are in the inner ear, which include the vestibule and auditory nerves. Infections or irritations to these mechanisms can cause a generally quick onset of vertigo. Other causes of vertigo include injury, overuse of medication, migraine and decreased blood flow in the body.
