Dizziness

they are a fairly common clinical manifestation, in the presence of which the patient feels dizziness, instability, lack of balance, nausea and / or vomiting.
The main causes of dizziness are: dizziness, a condition known as imbalance, syncope, presyncope and anxiety.
Less common causes include: heart muscle disease, stroke, brain tumors, anemia, dehydration, heat exhaustion, hypoglycemia, motion sickness, excessive physical activity, etc.
Dizziness is usually a symptom of no particular concern. However, if they are recurrent or present with bothersome symptoms, it is good to contact your doctor and undergo further diagnostic tests.
Therapy depends on the triggers.

. Volemia is the medical term for the total volume of blood circulating in the body. If the volume is low, it means that the total volume of circulating blood has undergone a reduction. To define low blood volume in one word, doctors use the term hypovolemia.

Some medications. In this case, the dizziness represents an adverse effect of the intake.

Hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is the medical term for a reduced concentration of glucose in the blood.

Postural hypotension (or orthostatic hypotension). It consists of a sharp drop in blood pressure following the sudden transition from sitting or lying to standing.

Some neurological diseases, such as migraine or acoustic neuroma.

Excessive physical activity

Motion sickness

DIZZINESS

With about 25% of cases being triggered, dizziness is the main cause of dizziness.
Dizziness can be caused by a problem with the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear or a problem affecting the brain.

Peripheral vertigo

The vertigo deriving from an "alteration of the vestibular apparatus - which is the" organ of balance "- takes the name of peripheral vertigo.
The most common causes of peripheral vertigo are: the condition known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (the most widespread of all), labyrinthitis (ie the inflammation of the so-called labyrinth), vestibular neuronitis (ie the inflammation of the nerves that trigger communication the labyrinth with the brain) and Ménière's syndrome.

Central vertigo

The vertigo that, instead, derives from a problem of the brain - to be precise, or of the cerebellum or of the brainstem - are better known as central vertigo. The most common causes of central vertigo are: migraine, acoustic neuroma, multiple sclerosis, cerebral hemorrhages and brain tumors.

IMBALANCE

The imbalance consists of a feeling of instability, due to a lack of balance.
In those who suffer from imbalance, the impression of falling is recurrent, something that, sometimes, really happens.
The morbid conditions that can cause imbalance include:

Forms of arthritis affecting the neck, such as cervical spondylosis.
Parkinson's disease and other disorders of a similar nature.
Neurological diseases affecting the cerebellum. The cerebellum is that section of the brain that controls coordination of body movements.
Diseases such as diabetes, which involve peripheral neuropathy involving the lower limbs.

SYNCHOPE AND PRESINCOPE

Syncope is a short-lived loss of consciousness, as a result of which the affected subject is unable to maintain postural tone (therefore, if he is standing, he falls to the ground).
With sudden onset and usually spontaneous resolution, syncope is subsequent, in most cases, to a reduction in cerebral blood flow (ie there is a reduced blood flow to the brain) or to an electrical dysfunction of the neurons of the brain.
A widely used synonym for syncope is fainting.
Presyncope, or lipothymia, is a disorder similar to syncope, but of lesser severity. Its onset, in fact, involves a sense of fainting, weakness, nausea and cold sweat, but no loss of consciousness.

Conditions that can cause syncope:

Alcoholism
Brain aneurysm
Diabetes
Pulmonary embolism
Stroke
Encephalitis
Wernicke's encephalopathy
Pulmonary hypertension
Pulmonary heart
Cervical arthrosis

ANXIETY

Anxiety is a psycho-physical state, characterized by worry, low mood, tension, fear, uncertainty about the future, etc.
There is a "physiological anxiety, induced by real stimuli, and a" pathological anxiety, caused by unidentifiable stimuli.

Heaviness in the head

Lack of strength and feeling of fainting

SPORADIC OR CHRONIC DISORDER

Lightheadedness can be a sporadic symptom, which appears occasionally, or a chronic, recurring symptom.
The sporadicity and chronicity of the problem depend on the triggering causes.
Having said that, it is important to point out that dizziness is generally manifestations that, although serious, tend to improve. The improvement is due to a process of adaptation by those anatomical structures responsible for controlling balance and stability.

The anatomical structures responsible for controlling balance and stability include: the brain, the vestibular apparatus of both ears, the sense of sight and proprioceptive receptors (which are receptors of a nervous nature).

WHEN TO SEE THE DOCTOR?

It is a good idea to contact your doctor if you have recurrent dizziness or other symptoms often associated with it.
Consultation with a doctor is important to understand the precise causes.

COMPLICATIONS: ATTENTION TO DRIVING AND AT WORK

For obvious reasons, dizziness could be a source of serious danger when the victim is driving a vehicle or is struggling with a job that involves the use of machinery or a certain ability to balance.

(anamnesis); finally - but only if something particularly worrying or doubtful emerges from the symptomatological picture and previous evaluations - they prescribe more in-depth examinations.
When diagnosing dizziness, the most important goal is to identify the underlying causes.

SURVEY

For patients who complain of dizziness, doctors usually ask:

A description of the first episode of dizziness.
A description of any associated symptoms. In these situations, it is particularly important for the doctor to know if the patient has suffered from nausea, vomiting, fainting, lack of balance, instability, etc.
How frequent are the episodes of dizziness and how long they last.
If the dizziness affects the performance of normal daily activities, such as walking, working, etc.
If there are particular gestures or movements that worsen the symptoms. For example, a particular movement of the head or getting up quickly from a chair or bed are two acts often associated with an aggravation of the symptomatological picture.
If there is something (behavior, body position, etc.) that relieves the dizziness and associated symptoms, when these are in progress.

OBJECTIVE EXAMINATION

The physical examination represents the first step towards identifying the condition that triggers the dizziness.
In performing it, the doctor visits the patient, evaluating the symptoms and performing some tests (for example, an internal analysis of the ears or tests for nystagmus, a typical sign of dizziness).

IN-DEPTH EXAMS

The use of more in-depth examinations - such as audiometric tests, a posturographic examination, a CT scan or a nuclear magnetic resonance, etc. - is particularly important to definitively clarify the triggering causes.

A TIP TO HELP THE DOCTOR IN DIAGNOSIS

A good tip for those suffering from dizziness is to get a diary, in which to write down the characteristics of the problem.
This is information that should be noted:

The activity that was being performed at the time of the onset of dizziness.
The duration of the dizziness and their severity.
The presence of other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, headache etc.

.
Typically, people with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo recover spontaneously within several weeks or months.
According to reliable scientific investigations, the resolution of BPPV would be linked to the natural (in the sense of spontaneous) dissolution of the calcium carbonate crystals, mentioned in the introduction.
However, it should be noted that there are some effective remedies to speed up the healing process and to improve the symptomatological picture, such as:

Get out of bed slowly.
Avoid looking upwards, therefore avoid activities that may induce you to do this.
Undergo the Epley maneuver. The Epley maneuver consists in the execution of 4 specific movements of the head, the purpose of which is to move the calcium carbonate crystals and position them in points that are harmless (or in any case less influential) from the symptomatological point of view.
If the Epley maneuver produces poor results or is unsuccessful due to neck problems on the part of the patient, practice the Brandt-Daroff exercises.

MĖNIÈRE SYNDROME

There are various treatments for vertigo induced by Ménière's syndrome.
Readers interested in knowing the most suitable therapies can consult the article here.

MIGRAINE

Migraine is the leading cause of central vertigo and dizziness associated with central vertigo.
The treatment of migraine generally involves the administration of a series of drugs to relieve painful symptoms and to prevent headache attacks.

ANXIETY

The treatment of anxiety includes the use of a series of specific drugs (anxiolytics, etc.) and the use of psychotherapy techniques.
To know in detail the therapies provided in case of anxiety, readers can consult the articles here (drugs in short) and here (drugs and psychotherapy).

OTHER EXAMPLES OF TREATMENTS / REMEDIES

If you experience dizziness following intense physical activity, heat exhaustion or dehydration, doctors strongly advise you to drink plenty of water and rest until normal is restored.
If dizziness occurs while driving or during work that requires the use of machinery or a certain ability to balance, it is advisable to stop these activities immediately. In these situations, the victim of dizziness is a danger not only to himself, but also to others.