Dizziness
Dizziness is an imprecise term that can refer to a sense of disorientation in space, vertigo, or lightheadedness. It can also refer to disequilibrium or a non-specific feeling, such as giddiness or foolishness.
| Dizziness | |
|---|---|
| Vertigo, the sensation of one's surroundings spinning around them, is a common symptom of dizziness. | |
| Specialty | ENT surgery, Otorhinolaryngology; if the dizziness is confirmed to be a symptom of a nervous system disorder, then neurology |
| Symptoms | Feeling of things are spinning or moving when they are not, lightheadedness, giddiness, or unsteadiness |
Dizziness is a common medical complaint, affecting 20–30% of persons. Dizziness is broken down into four main subtypes: vertigo (~25–50%), disequilibrium (less than ~15%), presyncope (less than ~15%), and nonspecific dizziness (~10%).
- Vertigo is the sensation of spinning or having one's surroundings spin about them. Many people find vertigo very disturbing and often report associated nausea and vomiting.
- Presyncope describes lightheadedness or feeling faint; the name relates to syncope, which is actually fainting.
- Disequilibrium is the sensation of being off balance and is most often characterized by frequent falls in a specific direction. This condition is not often associated with nausea or vomiting.
- Non-specific dizziness may be psychiatric in origin. It is a diagnosis of exclusion and can sometimes be brought about by hyperventilation.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.