It is vital that you can distinguish which is which and be able to describe accurately to your doctor what you feel so you can get the right help. However, these three are not the same things. In most cases, dizziness, vertigo, and disequilibrium are often joined together by a common source. If you have symptoms of vertigo and a bad headache, sickness or a high temperature, you should see your GP immediately. Differentiating Vertigo, Dizziness, and Disequilibrium. Also round up the usual suspects: medications that could be interacting or incorrectly dosed and volume depletion. Check the blood pressure while the patient is standing, sitting, or lying down. If you have persistent vertigo you should see a GP who may refer you to an expert. Orthostatic hypotension is another common cause of vertigo and dizziness and plays into presyncope, said Dr. In some severe cases, the attack can last days, weeks and even months. There is also a very common misconception that vertigo is associated with a fear of heights but this isn’t true.Īn attack of vertigo and this spinning type of dizziness can last from a few seconds to a few hours. The term dizziness can be used to refer to a number of related symptoms like presyncope, disequilibrium, whats called non-specific dizziness, and vertigo. Vertigo is the feeling that you or your surroundings are spinning. Dizziness is a feeling of being off-balance. It is commonly caused by dehydration, drug side effects, blood pressure drops, low blood sugar. Dizziness and vertigo are two similar feelings. Dizziness and vertigo are two words used interchangeably these days, when in fact they mean two different things. It’s this type of spinning feeling that, if it affects balance, we would clinically class as vertigo. Lightheadedness is a feeling of wooziness or faintness. The Difference Between Dizziness and Vertigo. When we dig a little deeper, the patient may explain that the dizziness they’re experiencing is more of a spinning type of dizziness or may indicate with their hand that they’re spinning by making circular motions. However, vertigo only refers to the illusion of motion, such as spinning when none is present, and many times the inner ear is the culprit for these symptoms. Fever Weakness Syncope Altered Mental Status Seizure Headache Dizziness and Vertigo Sore Throat Dyspnea Chest Pain Abdominal Pain Nausea and Vomiting Gastrointestinal Bleeding Acute Pelvic Pain Back Pain Types of Dizziness Distinguishing Central vs.
Vertigo vs dizziness series#
It can be very difficult for someone experiencing dizziness to put into words exactly what they’re feeling/experiencing but the starting point is usually ‘I feel dizzy’ or a ‘I have dizziness’. Vertigo and dizziness are commonly used interchangeably, and many people will refer to all types of dizziness as vertigo and vice versa. Cardinal Presentations This post is part of a series called Cardinal Presentations, based on Rosen’s Emergency Medicine (8th edition).
In the medical field, healthcare professionals usually make a distinction between vertigo and dizziness for the purpose of medical records and documentation. There is a subtle difference, as dizziness can be a symptom of a person suffering from vertigo. Dizziness is very often the general term patients use when describing their symptoms. Dizziness and vertigo are symptoms as opposed to a disorder.
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