MedifocusHealth

The word "dizzy" is often used to describe a variety of sensations from lightheadedness to feeling weak or unsteady. There may be a feeling of "passing out" and when the person lies down, the dizziness often disappears. Lightheadedness or dizziness may be caused by a temporary drop of blood pressure or reduced blood flow to the head which can occur when a person gets up too quickly from a sitting or lying down position.

Vertigo is more than dizziness. It is dizziness that always creates the sense that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving. It is defined as a false illusion of motion with a distinct sensation of rotation ("The room was spinning around me") and is caused by vestibular dysfunction (dysfunction of the balance mechanism in the ear). Lying down does not bring relief. The most common form is called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and is caused by conflicting signals received by the brain from various sensory systems that monitor balance and the position of the body in space. The term "paroxysmal" connotes a sudden attack.

Acute vertigo refers to an attack which consists of a well-defined, isolated spell of vertigo with a distinct onset and conclusion. Recurrent attacks of vertigo are referred to as chronic vertigo. Vertigo is usually accompanied by nystagmus (involuntary oscillations of the eyeball) which is triggered by inner ear disturbance. Vertigo attacks can occur spontaneously (e.g., due to sudden head movement) or can be secondary to other conditions (e.g., head trauma, labyrinthitis, or prolonged bed rest).

Vertigo is the reason for over 7 million medical visits in the United States each year. It is a common complaint among older persons, especially those between the ages of 50-70, and is the most common cause of contacting a health professional in individuals over 65 years of age. Vertigo is thought to affect 5-10% of the population at any given time.

The most common cause of vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo which will be explained in detail below and is the main focus of the Medifocus Guidebook on Vertigo.