Dizziness

Overview | Symptoms | Risk | Causes | Diagnosis | Treatment | Prevention

What is dizziness?

Dizziness can mean many different things to different people. Generally, dizziness is a combination of sensations such as feeling faint, woozy, weak, or unsteady. Dizziness is common, and occasional episodes of dizziness are usually nothing to worry about.

However, regular occurrences of dizziness could be a sign of more serious health issues that need addressing.

Risks

It’s essential to seek emergency medical care if you have new severe dizziness alongside the following symptoms:

• Sudden, severe headache
• Nausea or ongoing vomiting
• Double vision
• A sudden change in hearing
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Confusion or slurred speech
• Stumbling or difficulty walking
• Fainting
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Numbness or weakness of your face
• Numbness or paralysis of your arms or legs
• Seizures

You may be more prone to feeling dizzy if you are older because you’re more likely to have a condition or take medication that causes dizziness.

Diagnosis

To narrow down the cause of your dizziness, we will assess your symptoms and family/medical history in your initial consultation. We may also perform a physical examination to check how you walk and maintain your balance, your hearing and inner ear, and how the major nerves of your central nervous system are working.

If we believe your symptoms to be related to a heart issue or condition, we may perform further tests such as blood tests, an electrocardiogram (ECG), an echocardiogram, and a stress echocardiogram. These tests allow us to pin down any heart conditions you may have. It also allows us to assess the severity of your condition and determine the most suitable treatments.

Prevention

Making sure you are hydrated and not leaving long gaps between meals can help prevent light-headedness. However, dizziness has many causes and is unpredictable, so there isn’t a straightforward way to prevent it.

Discovering the cause of your dizziness is key to help prevent future episodes. Contact us if you have any questions and want to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms.