5 Things You Need to Know About Symptoms: Dizziness

1. Spinning Out of Control

Dizziness feels like you're losing your balance or that you're falling. Vertigo is a form of dizziness that feels like you are spinning or the room is spinning. Dizziness can also feel like faintness, being light-headed or that you're moving when you are sitting perfectly still. Dizziness can cause a feeling of anxiety and can also cause nausea or vomiting. Dizziness can happen at any age.

2. Know the Causes

Yes, a hangover can cause dizziness. A hangover is the result of dehydration and low blood sugar from excessive alcohol intake. High blood pressure, low blood pressure, medications or changes in medications can also cause dizziness. Quick movements can cause dizziness, because the sensory input to the eye may be too fast. A change in body position can cause dizziness if you rise too quickly, because blood pressure may drop.

3. What Can Dizziness Mean?

Dizziness is a symptom of other diseases as well. Tumors that are usually benign may be present on the acoustic nerve; the acoustic nerve connects the inner ear to the brain. The inner ear is important in keeping balance and something as simple as an ear infection can cause dizziness. Meniere's disease, stroke and multiple sclerosis can also cause dizziness. An anxiety attack or panic attack can cause dizziness from hyperventilation.

4. Gett Your Head on Straight

Treatments for dizziness start with diagnosing the cause of the dizziness. Infections should be treated with a full course of antibiotics. If medications are causing dizziness, tell your doctor and change the medication. Physical therapy for balance retraining may be needed to help with dizziness. Treating migraine headaches and getting treatment for underlying diseases will help reduce dizziness.

5. What to Do When Dizziness Attacks

Safety should always be your first consideration when dizziness attacks, to avoid falls and injuries. If you experience dizziness, sit down or lie down immediately until the attack has safely passed. If you experience more than one attack of dizziness, stop driving until you get treatment. If you experience dizziness frequently, avoid wearing heels or shoes with slick soles. Have a light at your bedside so you can safely get up at night. When you get up from a lying or sitting position, rise slowly and stand still for a moment to get your balance before you start walking. If you are walking and suffer dizziness, simply stop and slide gently to the floor until it passes.