Lightheadedness, feeling woozy and unbalanced, a sensation of movement of yourself or everything around you – there are many ways to describe dizziness. Experiencing it can be more disconcerting than just a temporary loss of your bearings if it is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, or the sense that you are about to faint.
Dizziness is not a condition; it’s a symptom of a medical issue, and it can be triggered by multiple factors, including:
- Alcohol consumption
- Inflammation of the inner ear
- Low blood pressure or low blood sugar
- Meniere’s disease
- Middle ear infection
- Motion sickness
- Panic disorder or panic attacks
While dizziness often subsides over time, it can become a chronic occurrence that requires the attention of your physician. Luckily, there are many ways to treat dizziness.
Treatment Options for Dizziness
In most cases, no medication is required to treat dizziness itself. However, there are various drugs that can be prescribed to treat its underlying cause. These may include:
- Anti-anxiety medications if your dizziness is caused by panic disorders or other mental health issues
- Antihistamines that provide relief from vertigo or to help reduce dizziness
- Medications that treat dizziness linked to migraines
These medications are intended to treat certain underlying causes of dizziness, including anxiety, fluid buildup in the inner ear, or the side effects of a specific drug. If they fail to alleviate dizziness, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, such as drinking more water or other non-alcoholic liquids to boost hydration.
If medication is not helping, you may need to try some lifestyle changes. These changes could be as simple as drinking more water or other non-alcoholic liquid to keep well-hydrated, resting with your eyes closed, reducing stress, or refraining from alcohol and tobacco use.
There are also a number of therapeutic measures that can be taken to help relieve dizziness. These include:
- The Epley maneuver, which involves moving your head in specific ways to reposition the small calcium crystals that cause dizziness
- Balance exercises that enable you to train your body to become less sensitive to movement if your dizziness stems from a problem within the inner ear
- Psychotherapy for dizziness that is caused by an anxiety disorder
When You Should See a Doctor About Dizziness
If your dizziness doesn’t resolve itself within a week, promptly see your doctor. In all likelihood, it is a symptom of a larger issue that your doctor can diagnose. In any case, you should consult a doctor immediately about your dizziness as the result of a head injury or if you experience:
- Persistent or severe headaches
- Frequent or ongoing nausea and vomiting
- Difficulty walking or a tendency to fall over
- A severely stiff neck
- Shortness of breath or difficult breathing
- A loss of consciousness
Diagnostic Care for Dizziness in Southeast Michigan
The highly skilled specialists at Associates in Neurology can not only diagnose the cause of your dizziness and any other underlying neurologic conditions, but also develop a personalized treatment plan designed to help restore your health.
Diagnosing dizziness is often a straightforward process. Our doctors will ask a series of questions about when your dizziness began and other symptoms you may be experiencing. They may then check your inner ear, your blood pressure, and any other physical factors to make sure you are hydrated, and your blood sugar is at a normal level before checking for other possible reasons for your dizziness. Once the probable cause of your dizziness is determined, a treatment plan will be recommended.
To begin receiving the specialized care you need to curb your dizziness, call us today at (248) 478-5512, and schedule a consultation at one of our convenient locations. You can also arrange an appointment by using our secure online form, and we will promptly contact you.