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What are the Most Common Dizziness Symptoms?

Erin J. Hill
Erin J. Hill

The most common dizziness symptoms are nausea, clumsiness, faintness, feeling off balance, weakness, or a combination of one or more of these symptoms. Dizziness is generally a symptom of an underlying condition and is not considered an illness itself. Patients who are dizzy may say the room seems to be spinning; their equilibrium is often off, which causes a lack of balance and focus. Dizziness can accompany nearly any other symptoms or illness, and it is one of the top complaints doctors get from patients.

Dizziness symptoms can often feed on one another and lead to more severe discomfort. For instance, the feeling of being off balance or faint can lead to nausea and vomiting. There are various causes for dizziness, ranging from infection, head injuries, and hormonal changes. Standing up too fast can also cause temporary dizziness. Most causes of dizziness symptoms are not serious and will clear up on their own. If they continue for more than a day or so, however, a doctor should be consulted.

Resting may help relieve feelings of dizziness.
Resting may help relieve feelings of dizziness.

One of the most common causes of dizziness symptoms is an ear infection. The ears play a large role in balance, so when one or both of them has an infection, it can throw everything off. This leads to dizziness and nausea in many individuals. Infections are often treated with antibiotics, although most will clear up on their own.

Anyone who is suffering from dizziness symptoms should sit down and relax. Putting one’s head between the legs in a hunched over sitting position is often helpful, as well as putting a cold or wet cloth over the face. Many patients who experience dizziness also report feeling hot and sometimes sweaty. Sometimes this is due to fever, so that should be checked as well, and an anti-fever medication can be used if necessary.

A person suffering from dizziness should sit down and relax.
A person suffering from dizziness should sit down and relax.

Since there are so many potential causes for dizziness symptoms, it is important to note any other symptoms in order to determine a diagnosis. If there is pain or discomfort elsewhere, this can help give doctors some indication of what the problem is. Treatment of dizziness usually involves the treatment of whatever condition is causing it. Medications may be used to alleviate symptoms in the meantime if the patient is in severe discomfort.

Discussion Comments

anon354879

I had prolonged stress for a couple of years end eventually while walking, I started feeling as if my right side were falling off. I would feel funny on my feet and then lose my balance. I drifted on my left side could follow. At times I was lightheaded, and felt as if were floating. My blood pressure was 160 and I was put on drugs. Even now the feeling is still there and mostly I feel it on my right side of the head above the ear. What could this be?

Crispety

Cupcake15 - I have heard of vertigo. It sounds awful.

I have had headaches and dizziness when I was pregnant once. I felt lightheadedness and had to get air and drink some Sprite.

Thank goodness that I only fainted once in my house and it had been because I was feeling warm and feeling a little dizziness. The soda really helped.

They say that dizzy spells can also result from a drop in the level of blood pressure or even problems with the heart itself.

It is really something that you have get checked out. In my situation it was an isolated case, but if it would have happened again, I definitely would have had that checked out.

cupcake15

I know that my mother in law suffers from dizzy spells associated with her vertigo symptoms.

Because of her imbalance in her inner ear she has severe motion sickness and feels very disoriented whether she is on a slow moving train or a cruise ship.

As a matter of fact, she took a winter cruise to the Caribbean and had to fly home because she could not stop vomiting.

Her nausea and dizziness symptoms were a lot for her to handle. My husband suffers from mild vertigo symptoms.

He can ride most rides in any amusement park but a ride with repetitive spinning like the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party ride at Disney World is definitely out of the question.

My mother in law gets such bad migraines when she develops dizzy nausea symptoms during her vertigo attacks that she has to get injections followed by best rest.

Headaches and dizziness are very common among people that suffer from Vertigo.

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    • Resting may help relieve feelings of dizziness.
      By: lightwavemedia
      Resting may help relieve feelings of dizziness.
    • A person suffering from dizziness should sit down and relax.
      By: Doreen Salcher
      A person suffering from dizziness should sit down and relax.
    • Dizziness may lead to feelings of nausea and faintness.
      By: Piotr Marcinski
      Dizziness may lead to feelings of nausea and faintness.
    • Extreme dizziness can cause a person to black out.
      By: William Casey
      Extreme dizziness can cause a person to black out.
    • Dizziness is accompanied by head pain in some people.
      By: vladimirfloyd
      Dizziness is accompanied by head pain in some people.
    • An individual who experiences dizziness with sunburn should see a medical professional immediately.
      By: Amy Walters
      An individual who experiences dizziness with sunburn should see a medical professional immediately.
    • Donating blood may cause a person to feel dizzy.
      By: Gina Sanders
      Donating blood may cause a person to feel dizzy.