Popular Science Knowledge about Dizziness

Dizziness is a common functional brain disorder and one of the most common clinical symptoms. It may manifest as a variety of sensations such as dizziness, heaviness, shaking in the brain, and blurred vision. When dizziness is accompanied by balance disorders or spatial orientation disorders, the patient will feel that the peripheral environment or himself is rotating, moving, or shaking, which is called vertigo. Dizziness is generally divided into four categories in clinical practice: vertigo, presyncope, imbalance, and nonspecific dizziness.

Dizziness: subjective feeling of lightheadedness, vertigo, imbalance, heaviness in the head, or blackness in front of the eyes.

Vertigo: Vertigo is a hallucination of movement of oneself or external objects, including false sensations of rotation and other non-rotational false sensations, such as tipping, floating, bouncing or sliding. It is a special type of dizziness, with the feeling that oneself or the surrounding environment is rotating, shaking or moving, often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sweating, etc. It is usually caused by inner ear diseases (such as otolithiasis, Meniere's disease, etc.) and brain diseases (such as cerebrovascular disease, cerebellar disease, etc.).

Dizziness: Manifested as a feeling of dizziness and confusion, usually without a sense of spinning. It may be related to fatigue, lack of sleep, anemia, low blood pressure, high blood pressure, etc.

Feeling of imbalance: Feeling unstable and swaying when walking, which is mostly caused by neurological diseases (such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord diseases, etc.) or musculoskeletal diseases (such as cervical spondylosis, lumbar spondylosis, etc.).

1. Classification and etiology:

Vestibular systemic dizziness: includes peripheral and central vestibular lesions, common causes include inner ear, nerve and other diseases.

Inner ear diseases: The semicircular canals and vestibules of the inner ear are responsible for the perception of balance. When problems occur, they can cause dizziness, tinnitus, and hearing loss. For example, otolithiasis is caused by the movement of otoliths in the semicircular canals after they fall off, stimulating hair cells and causing vertigo; the most common peripheral vestibular disease is induced by changes in head position.

Meniere's disease: Meniere's disease is caused by the accumulation of water in the inner ear labyrinth, leading to paroxysmal vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, etc.

Vestibular neuritis: caused by a viral infection, presents with acute onset of vertigo.

Non-vestibular systemic dizziness: causes include cardiovascular, blood, endocrine and other diseases.

Neurological disorders:

Cerebrovascular disease: such as cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage, leading to insufficient blood supply to the brain.

Brain tumor: The tumor compresses or invades brain tissue, causing dizziness.

Multiple sclerosis: An autoimmune disease that affects the function of the nervous system.

Cardiovascular Disease:

Hypotension: Low blood pressure leads to insufficient blood supply to the brain.

Hypertension: High blood pressure damages blood vessel walls and affects blood circulation in the brain.

Arrhythmia: affects the heart's pumping function, resulting in insufficient blood supply to the brain.

Blood system diseases:

Anemia: Due to the decrease in red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood, the oxygen-carrying capacity decreases, leading to brain hypoxia, causing symptoms such as dizziness and fatigue.

Endocrine diseases: such as hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, etc. When the thyroid function is hypo, the metabolism slows down, and dizziness, fatigue, memory loss, etc. may occur; when hypoglycemia occurs, dizziness, palpitations, sweating and other symptoms may occur.

Other causes:

Ocular dizziness: such as refractive error and eye muscle paralysis, which affect visual perception.

Mental and psychological illnesses: such as anxiety and depression, which lead to physical discomfort, usually accompanied by insomnia, palpitations, chest tightness and other symptoms.

Head trauma: such as concussion, which causes temporary disturbance of brain function.

Cervical spondylosis: often accompanied by symptoms such as limb numbness, neck, shoulder and back pain

2. Medical Guidance

When to seek medical attention:

Frequent attacks: Dizziness symptoms occur frequently, affecting your life.

Sudden worsening: Dizziness symptoms suddenly get worse or new symptoms appear.

Associated symptoms: Dizziness is accompanied by headache, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, limb weakness, slurred speech and other symptoms.

History of chronic diseases: History of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, etc., and the dizziness symptoms are different from before.

Check items:

CT or MRI of the head: Checks whether there are abnormalities in the brain structure.

Vestibular function tests: such as electronystagmography and balance function tests, are used to evaluate the function of the vestibular system.

Electrocardiogram, cardiac ultrasound and other examinations: check the function of the cardiovascular system.

Blood test: rule out blood system and endocrine system diseases.

3. Treatment Methods

Etiological treatment: Take measures to address the cause. For example, manual repositioning of otolithiasis, medication or surgery for Meniere's disease, and comprehensive treatment (including medication, intervention, and surgery) for cerebrovascular disease.

Symptomatic treatment: Use anti-vertigo drugs and antiemetic drugs to relieve symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

Rehabilitation therapy: Through balance training and vestibular rehabilitation training, the patient's balance ability is improved, the vestibular function recovery is promoted, and the quality of life is improved.

4. Health Education

Lifestyle habits:

Regular work and rest schedule: ensure adequate sleep and avoid staying up late.

Learn to relax: relieve stress through meditation, yoga, etc.

Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption: reduce caffeine intake and stay healthy.

Eat a healthy diet:

Eat a balanced diet: plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat protein.

Reduce salt and sugar intake: avoid spicy, greasy and irritating foods.

Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

Appropriate exercise: Moderate exercise can enhance physical fitness and improve blood circulation, but avoid strenuous exercise and prolonged standing. Perform at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, paying attention to safety and avoiding injuries, especially for the elderly and those with poor balance.

Prevent falls: When you feel dizzy, try to avoid going out alone, have someone accompany you, keep the environment clean, install handrails and anti-slip mats to prevent tripping.

Regular physical examinations: Have a comprehensive physical examination once a year, including blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids, etc. Those with a history of dizziness need to undergo regular vestibular function and head imaging examinations.

Psychological adjustment: Maintain a positive and optimistic attitude, avoid anxiety and depression, and seek professional help in time for psychological problems.

Medication use: Take medication as directed by your doctor, on time and in the correct dosage, do not increase or decrease the dosage on your own, and be aware of possible adverse reactions such as dizziness that may be caused by the medication.

Avoid triggering factors: Understand the factors that trigger dizziness, such as changes in body position, specific foods, etc., and avoid contact. For example, patients with otolithiasis should avoid sudden changes in head position.

Timely follow-up: Follow-up promptly if dizziness worsens or new symptoms appear.

5. Notes

Pay attention to dizziness symptoms: Dizziness may be a signal of serious diseases such as cerebrovascular disease and brain tumors. If dizziness symptoms occur frequently or worsen, you should seek medical attention promptly.

Cooperate with treatment: In the face of long-term treatment, you must maintain confidence, face it positively, take medicine on time, go to regular follow-up visits, and follow the doctor's orders for treatment.

Long-term management: Patients with chronic dizziness require long-term treatment and rehabilitation training. They should strengthen self-management, understand dizziness knowledge, and improve self-management capabilities.

Family support: Family members should give care and support to patients to help relieve stress.

In daily life, it is also important to prevent dizziness. Getting enough sleep, avoiding overwork, eating a healthy diet, and exercising properly can all help prevent dizziness. At the same time, patients who have already experienced dizziness should seek medical attention in a timely manner and receive professional diagnosis and treatment.