Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Dizziness is one of the most common symptoms that will
prompt a person to seek medical care. The term dizziness (or dizzy) means
different things to different people, so it is difficult to define. Does "feeling dizzy"
mean lightheadedness or the feeling of weakness and almost passing out?
Or does it
refer to the sensation of vertigo, in which a person feels as if they have just
gotten off a merry-go-round?
Dizziness (lightheadedness) is often caused by a decrease in blood supply to the brain,
while vertigo may be caused by disturbances of the inner ear and the balance centers
of the brain. It is important that the health care practitioner understand what
you mean when you complain of dizziness. You may be asked additional questions
so that the proper direction can be taken for a diagnosis and treatment.
While classifying dizziness into lightheadedness and vertigo categories may help understand
how the body works, sometimes it is worthwhile to review common reasons why
people might complain of dizziness.
Low blood pressure
Dizziness, lightheadedness, and the feeling of passing out is a common
complaint in people who have low blood pressure.
When the blood pressure is too low, not enough oxygen-rich blood
is being delivered to the brain, and its function can be affected. If the
brain's blood supply is decreased too much, the person may pass out (syncope).
In addition to feeling dizzy, associated
symptoms may include:
Low blood pressure may be the result of an underlying illness or disease, or
it may be a normal physiologic condition. Some common
reasons for low blood pressure include the following:
Dehydration (loss of
water in the body) often occurs with infections that cause
vomiting and
diarrhea.
Fever also can cause a significant amount of water loss due to increased
metabolic rate and excessive sweating
as the body tries to cool itself.
Side effects of certain medications used to control blood pressure and heart rate.
Examples include:
beta blockers
(propranolol [Inderal, Inderal
LA], atenolol [Tenormin],
metoprolol, [Lopressor, Toprol
XL]), which block adrenalin receptors in the heart and may limit the ability of
the heart rate to increase in response to changes of position, decreased red
blood cell count, or dehydration.
Nitroglycerin
and isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur), a long acting nitroglycerin,
are medications that are prescribed to dilate blood vessels in the heart to
treat angina. However, these medications may also cause other blood vessels
in the body to dilate and be unable to respond to the body's needs.
Dizziness may be caused or attributed by a wide variety of things. Some of
the causes of dizziness require immediate medical attention. Examples of causes
of dizziness include:
high blood pressure,
low blood pressure,
heart diseases or conditions (for
example heart attack, arrhythmia,
strokes,
tumors,
headaches,
fainting,
dementia,
medication (for example, high blood
pressure medications, sedatives,
tranquilizers, antidepressants, pain
relievers, certain antibiotics, and
diuretics),
Low blood pressure, also referred to as hypotension, is blood pressure that is so low that it causes symptoms or signs due to the low flow of blood through
Heat rash is a skin irritation caused by excessive sweating. It can occur at any age and it appears as a rash that itches or feels prickly, and looks like
Anemia is the condition of having less than the normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. The oxygen-carrying
There are many symptoms involved in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy. The first early pregnancy symptom is typically a missed period, but others
Heat stroke (heatstroke or sun stroke) is a form of hyperthermia. Heat stroke is a true medical emergency that can be fatal if not promptly and properly
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type
Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced
Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ, is a disorder of the temporomandibular joint(s) that causes signs and symptoms including ear pain, bite problems,
Hyperthyroidism is an excess of thyroid hormone resulting from an overactive thyroid gland. Symptoms can include increased heart rate, weight
loss, depression,
Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressive neurologic disease characterized by a fixed inexpressive face, a tremor at rest, slowing of voluntary movements,
Angina is chest pain that is due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle. Angina can be caused by coronary artery disease or spasm of the
Fainting, also referred to as blacking out, syncope, or temporary loss of consciousness has many causes. Often a person will have signs or symptoms prior
Gastroenteritis (viral gastroenteritis, stomach flu) is an infection caused by a variety of viruses that results in vomiting and/or diarrhea. Even though
Pregnancy symptoms vary from woman to woman. There are some symptoms that are more frequent in some women. These symptoms include a missed period, nausea,
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered
Alcoholism is a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting
Hyperglycemia is a serious health problem for diabetics. There are two types of hyperglycemia, 1) fasting, and 2)postprandial or after meal hyperglycemia.
Vertigo is a feeling of spinning movement, and at times accompanied by nausea and vomiting occur. Vertigo is most often associated with an inner ear problem.
Chest pain is a common complaint by a patient in the ER. Causes of chest pain include broken or bruised ribs, pleurisy, pneumothorax, shingles, pneumonia,
