Shaking vision, confused mind, spinning around, nausea and vomiting... Poor rest, mental stress, etc. can cause dizziness, but some causes of "dizziness" are in the heart, cerebral blood vessels, cervical vertebra, ears, nose and throat, and if not treated in time, they will may lead to more serious consequences.
Which department should I go to if I feel dizzy? "Life Times" interviews experts to teach you how to seek medical treatment according to the symptoms and promptly detect the hidden disease risks behind dizziness.
Experts interviewed
Li Rui, Chief Physician of the Third Department of Neurology, Shaanxi Provincial People's HospitalLi Rui, Chief Physician of the Third Department of Neurology
Ma Xin, Chief Physician of the Department of Otolaryngology, Peking University People's Hospital
Tsinghua University Geng Tongchao, Chief Physician of the Department of Neurology of Yuquan Hospital
Dizziness may be caused by 3 systems. Problem
The human body can maintain balance in different postures and different movement states, mainly relying on the "balance triad", namely vestibular system , visual system and proprioceptive system, which work together to help the human body maintain balance and stability. These three systems are widely connected with the cerebellum and cerebral cortex. Problems in any of these links may lead to balance disorders and the symptoms of "dizziness" often reported by patients.
When we experience dizziness or unsteady walking, we should first consider whether there is a problem with the "balance triple". By investigating one by one, most dizziness can be diagnosed clinically.
01
The vestibular system
includes the peripheral and central nervous system . When there are lesions in the peripheral vestibular system, such as otitis media, sudden deafness, Meniere's disease, etc. In addition to symptoms of dizziness,
- patients may also be accompanied by related symptoms such as hearing loss;
- patients may have other neurological or even psychiatric symptoms besides dizziness and vertigo, such as hemilateral weakness or numbness, anxiety, fear, and sleep disorders. It is necessary to consider whether there are intracranial lesions causing central vestibular dysfunction.
02
The visual system
includes various aspects such as vision, visual field and eye movement adjustment. When the patient is dizzy and has blurred vision or has ghosting when looking in a certain direction, he should focus on checking whether there are any abnormalities in his vision.
03
The proprioceptive system
mainly refers to the deep sensory system. When the patient has dizziness, a feeling of cotton on the feet, and has suffered from diabetes, cervical spondylosis, or has taken certain drugs that may cause peripheral nerve damage etc., should focus on whether there is balance disorder caused by abnormal proprioception.
Which department should be admitted for dizziness?
Dizziness has different causes depending on the symptoms. If there is no syncope and dizziness clinic in the local area, patients can choose different departments for screening based on specific symptoms.
Insufficient blood supply to the brain
Symptoms: During a dizziness attack, the patient cannot see clearly and has double images. The base of the tongue may also be hard, speaking may not be fluent, and the hands and feet may be inflexible.
If the blood supply to the brain is insufficient due to blood vessel stenosis, dizziness will occur frequently and symptoms will recur.
Recommended departments: When such symptoms occur, you should first go to the neurology department for treatment.
High blood pressure
Symptoms: Dizziness manifests as "flicking", flushing and hot face, lightheadedness, and stiffness in the neck. When dizziness is caused by high blood pressure, the first thing to consider is it. It is best to check your blood pressure at this time.
Recommended departments: If your blood pressure is high, you should take antihypertensive drugs in time. Some patients may experience dizziness if their blood pressure drops too low and need to go to the cardiology department to adjust their medication in time.
Cervical spondylosis
Dizziness caused by cervical spondylosis is also called cervical dizziness. Degenerative changes in the cervical spine, such as bone hyperplasia , intervertebral disc herniation, etc., can cause cervical spondylosis. When the neck is moved, squeezing the blood vessels passing through it or stimulating the neck sympathetic nervous system can also reflexively cause dizziness.
Symptoms: Turning the head and neck can cause dizziness, which is often accompanied by soreness in the neck and shoulders. The neck "rattling" when turning the head, local pressure is painful, and the arms are often numb.
Recommended departments: It is more common among middle-aged and elderly people and people who work at desks for a long time, such as office clerks, reporters, editors, etc. This kind of dizziness requires you to see an orthopedic doctor.
Otolithiasis
The scientific name of otolithiasis is "benign paroxysmal positional vertigo". If otoliths fall off into the saccule of the vestibular system, people will become dizzy.
Symptoms: Feeling dizzy when lying down or turning over, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sweating, etc. The time is generally short, ranging from seconds to minutes, and the duration of the disease varies.
The age of highest incidence of otolithiasis is after the age of 40. Women with weak constitutions and white-collar workers who have been inactive for a long time, are stressed, and have sleep disorders are also high-risk groups.
Recommended departments: You should go to the otolaryngology department for treatment. Clinically, nearly 95% of patients with otolithiasis can recover through manual reduction.
Mental illness
Mental illnesses such as neurasthenia, insomnia, anxiety, etc. may lead to brain dysfunction and dizziness, especially among young people in their twenties.
Symptoms: often feels dizzy, always dizzy, very nervous, always feels like something is going to happen, and feels uncomfortable when going to crowded places.
Recommended departments: It is recommended to see a psychology department in time.
Meniere's syndrome
Symptoms: The clinical manifestations are recurrent rotational vertigo , fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus and ear fullness and swelling.
Recommended Department: This is also a disease of the inner ear, so you should see an otolaryngology department.
In addition, problems with the nose are also one of the causes of dizziness. The most common one is sinusitis , which is often accompanied by runny nose, nasal congestion, and headache. Acute sinusitiscan be cured after antibiotic treatment, and the dizziness will gradually disappear.
2 kinds of "dizziness" require immediate medical attention
If the patient has the following symptoms, he/she needs to "see treatment immediately":
1. Unsteady walking as if drunk, loss of consciousness, numbness and weakness of limbs, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, choking on drinking water, visual acuity Things come in pairs, vision loss , mouth and corner distortion, etc.
2. Patients who have the first onset of the disease, regardless of whether they are accompanied by the above symptoms, are best to seek medical treatment in time.
If you have been diagnosed with a common benign vestibular-related disease and the symptoms this time are similar to those in the past, you don’t need to worry. You can just take medication or observe as prescribed by the doctor and rest quietly.
How to describe your dizziness symptoms to your doctor?
When many patients consult about dizziness, they are prone to unclear statements, which directly affects the doctor's judgment. It is recommended to summarize the characteristics of your dizziness from the following aspects.
The specific nature of dizziness: For example, whether it is dizziness or top-heavy, it can also be described using metaphors, such as the feeling of shaking in a boat, the feeling of being drunk, etc.
Time of dizziness: Such as the age when the initial dizziness occurred, the duration and frequency of dizziness, etc.
Symptoms associated with dizziness: If there is tinnitus (on one side or both sides), nausea, blurred or double vision, numbness, etc.
Is there any relationship between dizziness and changes in head position: Is it aggravated when turning, lowering or raising the head?
Whether there are inducements and comorbid diseases:For example, whether there is fever or infection before dizziness, whether there is otitis media, migraine, whether there are chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, etc. .
reminder: Once dizziness occurs, you must first avoid falling, immediately find a relatively safe place to rest around you, and observe whether there are warning symptoms that require "immediate medical treatment", and contact relatives and friends or call 120 as soon as possible. ▲
Author of this article: Life Times reporter Li Di Editor of this issue: Deng Yu
Copyright statement: This article is original to "Life Times" and any unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
