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Dizziness (vertigo)
in adults and children
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When everything is spinning, the floor is swaying or there is a feeling of "falling to one side" it is often a dizziness. The dizziness can last for different lengths of time and be associated with different symptoms, e.g. drowsiness, nausea, visual and auditory disorders.
The cause of a dizziness is usually harmless and usually goes away on its own.
When does dizziness occur frequently?
- In case of rapid movements of the head (e.g. when getting out of bed). This is a benign positional vertigo (= rotary vertigo). Certain movements cause a dizziness for a short time – a few seconds to a maximum of five minutes. In connection with the dizziness, nausea and, in rare cases, vomiting may occur.
- In old age:
Many older people suffer from a so-called vertigo in old age. Several minor disorders, such as impaired vision, hearing or muscular weakness in the legs, can contribute to developing a "wobbly gait" and feeling unsafe in a room as you get older. - With mental stress:
A psychogenic dizziness can be triggered by a stressful situation. In addition to dizziness, symptoms such as anxiety, rapid heartbeat, distress, tremors or sweating may occur.
What can you yourself do to relieve "dizzy spells"?
If you feel dizzy, then:
- Lie down until the dizziness passes.
- Move slowly and carefully.
- Get some rest.
- Drink a lot of liquid (especially water).
When to seek medical advice?
Contact a family doctor in the following cases:
- The feeling of dizziness does not go away or comes again and again.
- You have problems hearing.
- You notice a ringing or other noise in the ear (danger: tinnitus = perception of sound when no corresponding external sound is present).
- You feel a numbness (e.g. face, arms, legs).
- You have headaches or feel sick.
- You're worried.
When to seek medical advice immediately?
- You have fainted.
- You have vision problems (e.g. double vision, blurred vision).