If you experience dizziness, you might be unsure of the cause, and the sensation can be disconcerting or even alarming when there is no clear reason. There are many reasons a person can feel dizzy, and some of them are more serious health concerns than others. In fact, dizziness itself is a broad term used to describe several different actual physical effects. Three common conditions that result in a dizzy feeling include vertigo, lightheadedness and disequilibrium.
Vertigo
Vertigo is a word used to express the feeling of being in motion when you are actually still. This can describe a sensation that the room appears to be spinning when it isn’t or that you are spinning when you aren’t. This is the feeling sought by children when they spin in circles for a period of time and then stop, giggling and falling to the floor -- or when you exit a particularly “spinny” amusement park ride. However, when it is experienced with no warning or obvious reason, it can be unpleasant and frightening. Vertigo is associated with issues in the vestibular system of the inner ear. This system handles a person’s balance.
Vertigo can cause nausea and vomiting in extreme cases and may result in balance issues such as staggering when walking or falling down unexpectedly. Some likely causes of vertigo include the following.
- Inner ear inflammation: The medical term for this ailment is acute vestibular neuritis, and it can cause symptoms like vertigo and nausea and can become so severe the patient is restricted to bed. The condition can be accompanied by hearing loss in some cases. This is a condition that is easily treatable and symptoms often subside rather quickly with proper medical care.