Dizziness

Dizziness is a sensation that gives a person the illusion that their body or surrounding objects are moving in a rotational motion. Dizziness is most often the result of inner ear dysfunction, an organ crucial for balance.

Dizziness can be confused with certain discomforts that are sometimes mistakenly referred to as dizziness, such as the feeling of spinning in the head when standing up too quickly or a fear of heights.

Dizziness is often accompanied by unsteadiness in walking and a feeling as if you are under the influence of alcohol (a feeling of drunkenness without consuming alcohol), sometimes nausea or vomiting.

Dizziness can have various origins, most often due to poor functioning of the inner ear, an organ that plays a crucial role in balance. Most causes are benign and resolve spontaneously. Some dizziness, fortunately rarer, can be more serious, for example, when it is due to brain problems.

The most common causes of loss of balance with dizziness are associated with an issue in the inner ear:

• 'Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo' are episodes of short-term dizziness (less than 60 seconds) that occur during certain head movements.
• 'Vestibular neuronitis' is characterised by a sudden onset of intense dizziness. The person suffering from it feels that they are turning or that the external environment is rotating around them. The dizziness is accompanied by nausea and sometimes vomiting.

The first episode of dizziness requires a medical examination.

Once the diagnosis is made, the only thing to do in case of recurrence of the same dizziness is to take an anti-nausea medication, as recommended by the doctor.

The first episode of dizziness requires a medical examination. The doctor will try to find out if it is the first episode or if treatment for dizziness has already been prescribed. They will also inquire about associated symptoms (nausea, vomiting, headache, difficulty performing certain movements, fever, etc.) and the medications you are taking.

Additional information can be found by reading the article Dizziness on the Planète santé website or by watching the show The Mystery of Dizziness and Balance Disorders on RTS (32 minutes).