When your head is “fuzzy”, vertigo is different from dizziness. What are the possible causes?

A friend told Huazi that he felt dizzy and asked Huazi what disease he might have. Huazi asked him if the specific symptoms were vertigo or dizziness. The friend was a little confused. Are these two types of dizziness different? Huazi told him that Chinese characters are profound and extensive. Although both mean "dizziness", vertigo and dizziness are two different symptoms and reflect different diseases.

A common cause of vertigo is problems with the vestibular nerve in the inner ear; a common cause of dizziness is problems with the blood vessels in the brain.

1. Vertigo and dizziness are two different symptoms 1. Spinning vertigo: The symptom of vertigo refers to a motion illusion or hallucination, which is the nervous system's misjudgment of its own motion state. When you open your eyes, you will feel that the scenery is shaking or rotating, and when you close your eyes, you will feel that you are spinning. Even when lying in bed, there will be fear of falling, usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, cold sweats and other symptoms.

2. Dizziness with a heavy head and light feet: The symptoms of dizziness refer to the loss of control over one's own posture or senses, a feeling of being heavy head and light feet, and a temporary loss of consciousness. It is mainly due to abnormalities in one's own senses and control, and one may become unstable and fall, but there is no feeling of rotation.

2. Causes of vertigo The vestibular nerve in the human body is responsible for controlling the body's movement posture. If it is diseased, the common symptom is vertigo. It may also be accompanied by tinnitus, deafness, eye tremors and other symptoms.

1. Otolithiasis: Also known as benign paroxysmal vertigo, it is common in the elderly. It refers to the falling off of tiny stones in the inner ear, which stimulates the hair cells in the inner ear responsible for sensing movement, causing vertigo. Otolithiasis often has a specific inducing position. If you stay still during an attack, the symptoms will disappear. When you change your position again, it will reoccur. You can go to the hospital for repositioning treatment. If it is not serious, it can heal itself within 6 months.

2. Meniere's disease: also known as Meniere's disease, is an idiopathic inner ear disease that causes symptoms such as recurrent vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear fullness. However, the mechanism of this disease is unclear, and symptomatic treatment can relieve symptoms, but it is prone to relapse.

3. Viral infection: When you have a cold, the cold virus may enter the inner ear through the Eustachian tube, causing inflammation of the inner ear and causing vertigo. Before the symptoms occur, cold symptoms will appear first, and vertigo will appear about 2 to 3 days later, and then the symptoms will gradually ease and heal on their own in about 3 to 6 weeks.

4. Ototoxic drugs: Strong diuretics, aminoglycoside antibiotics and other drugs are ototoxic and may cause damage to the inner ear when used, causing hearing loss and dizziness. Those with mild symptoms can recover after stopping the drug, but those with severe effects may suffer permanent hearing damage.

5. Tumor: If a tumor appears in the inner ear or auditory nerve, it will compress the vestibule, causing hearing loss and vertigo.

6. Central nervous system diseases: Multiple sclerosis, vertebral artery circulatory disorders, or the use of central nervous system drugs may also affect the vestibular nerve and cause dizziness.

3. Causes of dizziness The main cause of dizziness is insufficient blood supply to the brain. There are many causes of insufficient blood supply to the brain, the most common of which is high blood pressure, which can cause cerebral artery contraction and spasm, resulting in transient cerebral ischemia and dizziness. Atherosclerosis of the cerebral artery can lead to arteriosclerosis and reduced blood supply, causing dizziness.

Orthostatic hypotension or excessive use of antihypertensive drugs can cause low blood pressure, which can also cause insufficient blood supply to the brain and dizziness. If you have heart disease, arrhythmia, heart failure and other conditions that affect heart function can also cause insufficient blood supply to the brain and dizziness. Accumulation of metabolic waste caused by uremia, decreased blood oxygen caused by asthma, and compression of blood vessels by cervical spondylosis can all cause abnormal blood supply to the brain and dizziness.

When vertigo occurs, seek medical treatment, pay attention to rest more, and reduce salt intake, which can reduce the edema of the inner ear nerve and relieve symptoms. There are many diseases that cause dizziness, and it is necessary to seek medical treatment in time for diagnosis to prevent more serious diseases such as cerebral infarction.

Exercising more, keeping your home well ventilated, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a good mood can all help prevent vertigo and dizziness. I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.