What Is Dizziness?
Dizziness can be described in many ways, such as feeling lightheaded, unsteady, giddy, or feeling a floating sensation. Vertigo is a specific type of dizziness experienced as an illusion of movement of one’s self or the environment. Some experience dizziness in the form of motion sickness, a nauseating feeling brought on by the motion of riding in an airplane, a roller coaster, or a boat. Dizziness, vertigo, and motion sickness all relate to the sense of balance and equilibrium.
The inner ear serves two purposes: hearing and balance. There are mechanisms located in your inner ears, called the vestibular system, that inform your brain about your position, orientation in space and movement at all times in order to maintain your balance. There are several types of dizziness.
- Vertigo: The sensation that either you or the environment around you is spinning
- Disequilibrium: The sensation of being “off-balance”
- Light-Headedness: The sensation of feeling faint or weak, such as being close to passing out
- Presyncope: Loss of consciousness or “blacking out”
Our office offers an array of vestibular tests in order to accurately diagnose and treat your dizziness symptoms. These tests will include a hearing test along with a combination of any or all of the following tests.
- Videonystagmogram (VNG)
- Rotational Chair Testing
- Electrocochleography (ECoG)
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)
- Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMPs)
Prevention tips
- Avoid rapid changes in position
- Avoid rapid head motion (especially turning or twisting)
- Eliminate or decrease use of products that impair circulation, e.g., tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, and salt
- Minimize stress and avoid substances to which you are allergic
- Get enough fluids
- Treat infections, including ear infections, colds, flu, sinus congestion, and other respiratory infections