Dizziness

Dizziness

People use the word dizzy to describe a variety of sensations. Some people use the word dizzy to refer to feeling lightheaded or faint. Others use it when they feel imbalance or a spinning sensation (vertigo). Dizziness is a symptom.

Mild dizziness, or lightheadedness, can occur when you move your head side to side, or just change the position of your head, or get up from sitting or lying down. This type of dizziness lasts a minute or less.

Dizziness that lasts minutes, hours or days can be more serious. Other symptoms that can occur with this type of dizziness include loss of balance (with a risk for falls), unsteady gait, loss of hearing, nausea, ringing in the ears and blurry vision.Problems with your inner ear's balance mechanism, certain medications and medical conditions can cause dizziness. Upper respiratory allergies affecting your ears and motion sickness may also cause dizziness. Dizziness may also be caused by depression, agoraphobia or hyperventilation.

Older adults may have dizziness when they suddenly move their heads or look up, because of atherosclerosis or osteoarthritis of the neck. Rarely, dizziness is caused by a brain tumor or multiple sclerosis.Our sense of balance depends on brain's receiving information from our eyes, nerves in our skin, muscles and joints, and organs of the inner ear. Dizziness can be a symptoms of a problem with one or more of these systems.