Health Topics A-Z

How Do I Know If I Have It?

Because dizziness can involve so many parts of the body — ears, brain, or heart, to name a few — your doctor will probably take a careful history of your symptoms, do a brief examination, and make a proper referral to a specialist if necessary. Make sure you describe the sensation you feel thoroughly, since dizziness can be many things to many people.

What Are the Treatments?

Treatment depends on the type of dizziness you are experiencing. In general, treatment involves finding the underlying cause of the dizziness, whether a disease, a behavior or an environmental factor.

People with dizziness caused by a physical injury almost always recover. If there is no physical cause, the problem is of emotional or mental origin. In that case, treatment will involve psychological methods.

If the dizziness is caused by medication, your doctor may reduce the amount you take or switch you to another medicine.

For vertigo, your doctor may prescribe bed rest or medications that suppress the activity of the inner ear like antihistamines or sedatives.

Disequilibrium or imbalance can be treated with balance therapy, which uses sophisticated devices to make a person relearn their sense of balance, but psychological methods may also be necessary. Stress management and relaxation therapy may help.

Treatment for severe lightheadedness involves decreasing the amount of blood pooling in the legs. This may be done through special stockings worn on the legs, a compression garment worn around the abdomen, or medications to increase blood volume. Your doctor may also treat you for heart disease.

Surgery may be necessary for more severe cases, such as those caused by Meniere's disease.

Accidents are more likely to occur while you are dizzy so use caution while driving or operating machinery.