Vertigo and Dizziness – What is the Difference?

There is often a lot of confusion when it comes to dizziness and vertigo. The two are often used in conjunction with each and, most of the time, the people using both terms don’t necessary know the difference between the two. In fact, there are differences and when treating vertigo it is important to know what that difference actually is.

Obviously, in normal conversation with a friend or family member, using the word “dizzy” is not too bad. However, when you are talking to a professional like an Chiswick Chiropractor, if you know how to describe your symptoms better they will be able to treat you more effectively. Not only will the treatment be more effective the diagnostics may be quicker.

To help you understand what the difference is between these two very similar symptoms, we will be going through the two terms in the following articles. If you’re interested to finally learn the distinction, continue to read on.

What is Vertigo?

Vertigo is a common symptom that you may have experienced at some point in your life. Vertigo is a sensation of movement (often spinning) when you are not actually moving. Vertigo often occurs when two of your senses don’t correlate or your brain misinterprets the senses. For example the signal comes from your balance and positioning senses are in conflict. The areas that are in primary conflict are usually vision, the sensation from the body (proprioception) and the vestibular system in the ears.

How is it caused?

Vertigo can be caused by a whole range of things. You can experience vertigo as a result of an ear infection and well as migraines. It is actually a serious problem is it suddenly occurs and you may require treatment immediately. This is truer is you experience changes in speech and have a loss of function.

What is Light-Headedness?

So what is the other side of vertigo? That would be light-headedness. This is a little different than vertigo and can be often confused when it comes to the term “dizziness”. Light-headedness can be caused by a change in blood pressure to the head and is commonly experienced when you stand up or lie down to fast. You may know this as head rush.

Light-headedness can also be caused by colds and illness but if the issue continues for a long period of time, you may need to consult a professional.

So what is the Difference?

When it comes to dizziness, you can either be light-headed or experiencing vertigo. So how do you tell the difference? It is actually a lot easier than you think.

When you are experiencing vertigo you may not be able to stand straight or movement properly. You will feel like the world is moving around you, as if you have just spun on the spot a hundred times. When you are feeling light-headed, the world doesn’t move around you. You just feel like you’re about to faint and feel weaker. In most cases, the light-headedness will go away once you lie down.

Summing it up

So, as you can see, there are two sides to being “dizzy”. It is important to know the difference to being light-headed and experiencing vertigo. To learn more, please call to arrange an appointment on 020 8566 3757 now.