How to tell if you are suffering from dizziness or vertigo

Sometimes people experience some strange sensations and they can’t decide if what they are experiencing is dizziness or vertigo. There is a lot of confusion around the use of these two words so it is understandable that people get in a bit of a muddle; people often use the words to mean the same thing. If you are experiencing these symptoms then it is important that you can differentiate between them because they are usually treated differently when it comes to resolving them.

So what happens when you feel dizzy? Well maybe you were swinging your child around in the air during play time and your head begins to feel a bit woozy and like you are being pulled down; the spinning sensation is unpleasant. Maybe you are on an amusement ride and feel unpleasant sensations as you fly through the air. This type of sensation is dizziness. In reality this word dizzyness is a very imprecise term that refers to a sense of inner confusion in regards to balance. Some people like to think of vertigo as a special type of dizziness. Vertigo differs from a feeling of general dizziness in a number of important ways. It will probably help here if we discuss what happens with vertigo.

With vertigo there is the sensation that either we are spinning or that our environment is spinning. This sensation has no relation to what is happening in reality and the feeling of sensation is purely a mental phenomena. We probably haven’t just been spinning around like a dancing dervish, and we also probably haven’t just got off an amusement ride. In some cases the sensation can come at us out of nowhere and it can be very unpleasant.

As well as this feeling of the world or ourselves swimming we will likely have other symptoms with vertigo. These might include the feeling that you want to get sick, or you may even vomit; this nausea and vomiting is really common with vertigo. Another frequent symptom with vertigo is uncontrolled eye movements; these can occur while we are having the spinning sensation. The medical term for this is nystagmus. What are vertigo symptoms and explaining nystagamus

As you can see the symptoms of vertigo are a lot more specific than those for just general dizziness. They can be caused by a number of different conditions and causes. It is rarely the sign of anything too serious, but it can cause a lot of disruption in your life and the symptoms may last for a few weeks. The important thing when feeling vertigo is to be safe so it is always best to lie down on the ground so as to prevent falling. Your doctor will be able to investigate the cause of your symptoms and decide on a proper course of treatment. Common questions about vertigo

Knowing the difference between vertigo and dizziness is important so consider your symptoms and this will allow you to reach a more precise definition.

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