The basic difference between the sensation of being off balance and being dizzy is whether or not you feel motion.
Studies have shown that 24% of the population over 72 years of age has dizziness or imbalance. This article will help you understand the different types of sensations you can have and what to jot down before you contact your physician. The more specific awareness you have of your symptoms, the better experience you will have when you search out a diagnosis.
The Sensation of Being Off Balance
The basic difference between the sensation of being off balance and being dizzy is whether or not you feel motion. If you are having balance issues, you will feel that you are unsteady or not sure of what direction you are going. You may feel weak and need to sit down, or you need to hold on to something to keep walking. Some people only have balance issues when they walk in the dark. Balance problems can be caused from nerve damage to your legs, vision difficulty, medications you take or even neurological conditions. The inner ear houses the balance organ and sometimes it can be the culprit. Dehydration will negatively affect balance.
The Sensation of Dizziness
In this article, we are combining dizziness with vertigo. For this condition, a person feels that the room is spinning or that they are spinning. It may happen when you are still or if you move your head in a particular direction. Causes of dizziness can be the result of dysfunction of the balance organs, anxiety, medications, migraine, head injury or a growth on the balance nerve. If you feel lightheaded, you could have blood pressure problems or heart disease.
What to Do Before You Visit Your Doctor
As you may have noticed, the causes for balance problems and dizziness are numerous! What a doctor does to help diagnose your symptoms is to rule out causes. It is like opening a can of worms to look into a person’s health history and attempt to focus on the correct cause. You can help with this process by writing down a list of symptoms before you go to the appointment.
- Write down when it started. Note if you started any new medications or changed your diet near the onset of the symptoms.
- How often do you have “episodes” and how long do they last?
- Can you make yourself feel the sensation by changing position? Maybe it only happens when you stand up, lie down or look up. It is important to experiment at home before the appointment.
- If you feel a spinning sensation, what is moving? Is it the room or your body?
- What direction is the motion?
- Do you feel a vibration at the same time or is it only spinning?
- What time of day does the sensation occur?
- Is there a history of this problem occurring with your family members?
- Are there any other physical sensations you have at the same time? For example, do you suddenly hear ringing in your ears when you have the sensation? Does your vision change when it happens?
- Do you have a history of migraines?
- Do you have sleep apnea?
- Do you have a history of leg problems, neurological difficulty or physical strength?
- Have you ever had a head injury?
- Have you ever been treated for this condition before? What was the diagnosis?
- What medications do you take?
- Do you have a history of dehydration?
Now that you have written all this down, you can look at it and see if there is more information needed to help fill in the blanks. By recording this information at home, you will be able to think about it. Start the paper and then add to it as you think of something new. Do this at home in a stress-free environment rather than waiting to write it down while sitting in the doctor’s office.
As you describe what you are feeling, your doctor will ask even more questions to build a more thorough picture of what is going on. Be patient as your doctor rules out the most common causes of your symptoms. Tests may be ordered and medications may be prescribed. You may even be sent to a specialist. By ruling out the various potential causes, the reason for your dizziness may emerge. QCBN
By Karon Lynn, Au.D.
Trinity Hearing Center is located at 1330 N. Rim Dr., Suite B in Flagstaff. For more information, visit TrinityHearing.net.
Karon Lynn, Au.D., is a doctor of audiology with 30 years of experience working with hearing impaired individuals. She may be reached at 928-522-0500 or at audio@trinityhearing.net.
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