Is my feeling of lightheadedness really vertigo?

lightheaded and feeling faint

Lightheadedness is a really general term that people use to describe strange sensations in their perceptions. They may feel weak or the room might be spinning, they might feel like they are about to faint. The word lightheaded could actually refer to any number of different things. It also happens that people wrongly describe a general feeling of being lightheaded as vertigo and the symptom of vertigo as lightheaded. It is important for your doctor’s diagnosis that you are able to differentiate between these terms in order to allow them to prescribe the most appropriate treatment. This can save a lot of time and prevent the wrong diagnosis. The symptoms of vertigo are quite specific so once you can distinguish these you will be well on your way to being able to diagnose it.

Vertigo involves a feeling movement in our perception even though we are not moving and there is no movement in our environment. Vertigo actually has two varieties; you can have subjective vertigo where it seems that you are moving or objective vertigo where it feels like the environment is moving. In neither of these cases is an external event responsible for why we are feeling the sensation; for example we haven’t just been spinning around and the room isn’t actually spinning around us. As well as this feeling of movement there is also often the urge to vomit and there may be strange eye movements occurring that we have no control over. The facts about vertigo and which reasons can you have it

The causes for vertigo are occurring in our vestibular system; this includes the structures of our inner ear, and the cerebellum. The vestibular system is responsible for helping us maintain our balance and for letting our brain know where we are in relation to space. Anything that interferes with the smooth running of this system can lead to the feelings we associate with vertigo. For example, and injury could dislodge tiny particles and disrupt the fluid in our cochlea. The system could also be disrupted due to an ear infection, or as a side-effect of some medications. Certain diseases such as Ménière disease can also cause vertigo. Vestibular system and what is vertigo

When it comes to treating vertigo it will always depend on what is causing the problem in the first place. If the symptoms are caused by dislodged particles then your doctor can perform certain movements with your head in order to move them to an area where they won’t be causing so many problems. If it is due to an infection then this will have to be treated. The Epley Maneuvers and what they do

Knowing the difference between a vague feeling of lightheadedness and vertigo is information that can be very useful. If you ever do get this sensation or other balance or instability problems always make your first priority be personal safety. While experiencing vertigo you are at risk of accidents and falls. You should never operate machinery or drive with these symptoms. Just lie down for a while.

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