Dizziness

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Name of Symptom/Sign:
**Dizziness**
*Classifications and external resources*
ICD-10	R 42.
ICD-9	780.4
DiseasesDB	17771
eMedicine	neuro/693
MeSH	C10.597.751.237

Dizziness is not a common and inclusive term for several specific symptoms which include pre-syncope, disequilibrium and vertigo. Each of these more specific words is encompassed in the general term dizziness.

1 Pre-syncope (aka lightheadedness)
2 Vertigo and Disequilibrium
3 Causes of Vertigo
- 3.1 Inner ear
- 3.2 Central nervous system
4 External Links
5 See also

[edit] Pre-syncope (aka lightheadedness)

Pre-syncope is a sensation of feeling faint. Pre-syncope, or lightheadedness, does not result from primary central nervous system pathology. Nor does it originate in the inner ear. It is most often cardiovascular in etiology. In many patients, lightheadedness is a symptom of orthostatic hypotension. Orthostatic hypotension occurs when the blood pressure drops significantly when the patient stands from a supine or seated position. If loss of consciousness occurs in this situation, it is termed syncope. Syncope is brief -- on the order of seconds -- and is not a seizure. It results from transient alterations in cerebral perfusion.

[edit] Vertigo and Disequilibrium

Vertigo is a sensation of severe room spinning. It can originate from the inner ear or the brain.

Otologic causes of vertigo: Typically if the vertigo arises from the inner ear, it is severe and has associated nausea and vomiting. One cause of otologic vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo BPPV. Alternate causes of vertigo originating from the inner ear include Meniere's disease and labyrinthitis.

Central nervous system causes of vertigo: If vertigo arises from the balance centers of the brain, it is typically more mild, and usually has accompanying neurologic deficits, such as slurred speech or double vision. Alternately, brain pathology can cause a sensation of disequilibrium which is an off-balance sensation.