Dizziness is a common feeling that many of us face from time to time. On most occasions there is nothing much to worry about. In a few cases, however, it may be an indicator of serious underlying conditions that require urgent medical attention. This should be suspected when there are other associated symptoms such as headache, loss of consciousness, hearing loss and visual blurring among others. There are some important things on dizziness treatment in Toronto when seeking the service.
Dizziness differs from a related condition known as vertigo. The former is a feeling of being lightheaded while the latter is spinning sensation when in actual sense the environment is still. Vertigo results from damage of semicircular canals located in the ear. The canals are responsible for maintaining body balance. The symptoms usually set in when one is assuming an upright posting from a lying position. One of the commonest forms of this condition is known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
Another commonly encountered cause is Meniere disease. This disease is caused by accumulation of fluid within the middle ear. This too compromises the function of semicircular canals. Causes of real dizziness include tumors (such as acoustic neuroma), a sudden drop in blood pressure, hypoglycemia, some drugs, motion sickness, heat stroke and dehydration.
The severity of the condition is equivalent to the number of episodes that are experienced. Having a diary at your side is important as it will help you record each event that takes place. At the same time, information about related signs and symptoms can be put down in writing. The diary will also come in handy when monitoring the response to treatment.
With such a long list of causes, there is a need for proper evaluation by the doctor to establish what exactly is happening. The doctor will take a detailed medical history and perform a physical to come up with probable causes. Some of the issues that will be addressed in the history include frequency of episodes, their severity and whether or not there are related signs and symptoms. The next thing to have some blood tests and possibly radiological images such as the CT scan and MRI.
The mode of treatment will be dictated by the cause. In some cases, however, the cause may not be established. Examples of treatments that have been used successfully include home remedies, lifestyle changes and the use of drugs. In the case of migraines, for example, lifestyle changes that involve the avoidance of trigger factors have been immensely successful. Meniere disease is mainly managed by instituting proper diet or surgery where the non-invasive options prove unsuccessful.
Athletes and persons engaged in strenuous physical activities are prone to heat stroke, dehydration and hypoglycemia. If these are not properly controlled, dizziness and fainting may ensure. For this reason, they are advised to always have a bottle of water available to keep themselves hydrated at all times. Glucose and energy drinks will help maintain the blood sugar levels within normal limits.
Dizziness is a symptom that is fairly common and each one of use may have experienced it at one point in time. There usually no cause for worry in most cases. Worry should set in if there is recurrence and association with other symptoms. Due to its vague nature many people confuse many other things for dizziness and this makes diagnosis and treatment a big challenge.
Dizziness differs from a related condition known as vertigo. The former is a feeling of being lightheaded while the latter is spinning sensation when in actual sense the environment is still. Vertigo results from damage of semicircular canals located in the ear. The canals are responsible for maintaining body balance. The symptoms usually set in when one is assuming an upright posting from a lying position. One of the commonest forms of this condition is known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
Another commonly encountered cause is Meniere disease. This disease is caused by accumulation of fluid within the middle ear. This too compromises the function of semicircular canals. Causes of real dizziness include tumors (such as acoustic neuroma), a sudden drop in blood pressure, hypoglycemia, some drugs, motion sickness, heat stroke and dehydration.
The severity of the condition is equivalent to the number of episodes that are experienced. Having a diary at your side is important as it will help you record each event that takes place. At the same time, information about related signs and symptoms can be put down in writing. The diary will also come in handy when monitoring the response to treatment.
With such a long list of causes, there is a need for proper evaluation by the doctor to establish what exactly is happening. The doctor will take a detailed medical history and perform a physical to come up with probable causes. Some of the issues that will be addressed in the history include frequency of episodes, their severity and whether or not there are related signs and symptoms. The next thing to have some blood tests and possibly radiological images such as the CT scan and MRI.
The mode of treatment will be dictated by the cause. In some cases, however, the cause may not be established. Examples of treatments that have been used successfully include home remedies, lifestyle changes and the use of drugs. In the case of migraines, for example, lifestyle changes that involve the avoidance of trigger factors have been immensely successful. Meniere disease is mainly managed by instituting proper diet or surgery where the non-invasive options prove unsuccessful.
Athletes and persons engaged in strenuous physical activities are prone to heat stroke, dehydration and hypoglycemia. If these are not properly controlled, dizziness and fainting may ensure. For this reason, they are advised to always have a bottle of water available to keep themselves hydrated at all times. Glucose and energy drinks will help maintain the blood sugar levels within normal limits.
Dizziness is a symptom that is fairly common and each one of use may have experienced it at one point in time. There usually no cause for worry in most cases. Worry should set in if there is recurrence and association with other symptoms. Due to its vague nature many people confuse many other things for dizziness and this makes diagnosis and treatment a big challenge.
