This comprehensive guide explores the symptoms, causes, and types of dizziness, including vertigo. It covers peripheral and central origins, common conditions like BPPV and Menière’s disease, and highlights when to seek medical help for persistent symptoms.

Symptoms, Causes, and Types of Dizziness: A Complete Guide

Dizziness, often described as a spinning or unsteady sensation, can significantly impact daily life. It usually involves feelings of lightheadedness, nausea, headaches, sweating, and difficulties with balance and coordination.

When a person feels that they are moving, it's called subjective vertigo; if they sense the environment moving around them, it's known as objective vertigo.

Vertigo originates from diverse conditions, generally categorized into peripheral and central origins. Peripheral vertigo is linked to inner ear issues, while central vertigo results from brain-related problems.

Common peripheral causes include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), inner ear infections, traumatic injuries, labyrinthitis, vestibular neuronitis, and Menière’s disease. These conditions interfere with the inner ear's ability to send correct balance signals to the brain.

BPPV is the leading cause, caused by calcium crystals in the ear canals. Episodes are sudden, brief, and intense, leading to dizziness, imbalance, and eye movements.

Other sources involve ear infections, head injuries, inner ear inflammation, nerve inflammation, and Menière’s disease, which affects hearing and balance.

Medication side effects may also cause mild dizziness. Severe or persistent symptoms should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.

Central dizziness often results from migraines, tumors like acoustic neuroma, multiple sclerosis, or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), impacting brain coordination and stability.

If you experience persistent dizziness, seek medical advice promptly for accurate diagnosis and treatment.