Dizziness can be described in many ways, such as feeling lightheaded, unsteady, or giddy. Vertigo is a type of dizziness experienced as an illusion of movement of self or the environment an dis usually unpleasant. Others experience dizziness asssociated with motion sickness, a nauseating feeling brought on by the motion of riding in an airplane, boat, etc. Dizziness, vertigo, and motion sickness all relate to the sense of balance or equilibrium. Your sense of balance is maintained by a complex interaction of the inner ear.
Feeling unsteady or dizzy can happen due to poor circulation, vertigo, injury, infection, or neurological disease. Dizziness is treatable but it is important for your doctor to help you determine the cause so taht the correct treatment is used. While each person will be affected differently, symptoms that warrant a visit to the Otolaryngologist include a high fever, severe headache, convulsions or ongoing vomiting, chest pain, heart palpatations, shortness of breath, inability to move an arm o leg, a change in vision or speech, or hearing loss.
The doctor will ask you to describe your dizziness and answer questions about your general health. Along with these questions, your doctor will examine your ears, nose, and throat. Some routine tests will be performed to check your blood pressure, nerve and balance function, and hearing. Possible additional tests may include a CT or MRI scan of your head, special tests of eye motion after warm or cold water or air is used to stimulate the inner ear (VNG- videonystagmography), and in some cases, blood tests or a cardiology (heart) evaluation. Your Otolaryngologist will determine the best treatment based on your symptoms.
Swimmer’s Ear
Swimmer’s Ear is a condition that affects the outer ear that causes pain resulting from inflammation, irritation, or infection. These symptoms are experienced when water gets trapped in your ear allowing bacteria to spread, causing a painful sensation. Because this condition commonly affects swimmers, it is known as swimmer’s ear. Swimmer’s ear affects mostly children and teenagers, but can also affect those with eczema or excess wax.
A common source of the infection is increased moisture trapped in the ear canal, bathing or showering, increased humidity or living in warm moist climates may also contribute to this common infection. When water is trapped in the ear canal, bacteria that normally inhabits the skin and ear canal multiply, causing infection and irritation of the ear canal. If the infection gets worse, it may affect other areas of the ear. Swimmer’s ear needs to be treated to reduce pain and eliminate any effect it may have on your hearing. Wearing ear plugs while you swim and shower can help prevent this from occurring.