Dizziness

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Revision as of 12:57, 25 February 2007 by imported>Nancy Sculerati MD
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Dizziness is a feeling of weakened consciousness. Unlike vertigo, a false sensation of movement is not present. Dizziness, or light-headedness, is sometimes associated with fainting (also called syncope), but may occur without any gross change in alertness. The feeling of dizziness is normal under certain circumstances, such as extreme fatigue or hunger, but persists as a chronic or recurrent condition is some people without any obvious cause.

Like pain, dizziness is a purely subjective experience.

A feeling of dizziness may be feared, discounted or even welcomed depending on the identity and cultural background of the person experiencing it. In the 19th Century, western girls and women who easily became "faint" were often admired as showing refinement. On the other hand, admission of feeling faint or dizzy has long been denigrated as showing weakness and can be particularly alarming to atheletes and .

When dizziness occurs along with vertigo,

For patients experiencing chronic dizziness, without vertigo, the condition is often outside of the ability of the health sciences to remedy in routine care. Dizziness without any component of vertigo is technically called "nonspecific dizziness" and when