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Suggest Treatment For Dizziness, Nausea Followed By Unsteady Gait
Question: I recently had a got hit with dizziness nausea that came on all of a sudden and has lasted for a week. This in not the first time this has happened. It happened about 2 years ago while traveling in England. It woke me up in the middle of the night. I could barely walk without the dizziness and I was nauseous (sp?) for about a week. Could this have been a stroke? Or is it a virus?
Brief Answer:
Read below
Detailed Answer:
I read your question and I understand your concern.
Vertigo can have many different causes, some are benign some others may indicate something more serious. The most common causes are related to the inner ear (including its viral infections), central vertigo like in the case of stroke, related to certain medication.
There are times when diagnosis is difficult and even after thorough history, physical exam and extensive testing the precise cause is not found.
If possible I would like to ask a few more questions:
-is your dizziness a spinning sensation, a lack of balance or is it perhaps more a feeling of light-headedness,
-do these bout last for seconds, minutes, hours, constant,
-is it exacerbated by other factors such as standing, moving your head rapidly,
-do you have other associated symptoms apart from nausea such as headache, hearing loss, visual disturbances, lack of coordination in your movements, numbness sensation in the face/limbs
-do you suffer from any other conditions or take any medications.
Judging from your current description, since you don't mention any other neurological symptoms or medication, I would consider an inner ear origin most likely in light also of your past problems.
However as I said before at times differentiation is very difficult and a physical neurological exam is often vital and is recommended to search for other neurological signs which would warrant imaging tests for the possibility of stroke. I wouldn't consider it very likely considering you episode of 2 years ago but it has to be excluded since symptoms are persisting.
I remain at your disposal for further questions, possibly with the answers to the questions above.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
I read your question and I understand your concern.
Vertigo can have many different causes, some are benign some others may indicate something more serious. The most common causes are related to the inner ear (including its viral infections), central vertigo like in the case of stroke, related to certain medication.
There are times when diagnosis is difficult and even after thorough history, physical exam and extensive testing the precise cause is not found.
If possible I would like to ask a few more questions:
-is your dizziness a spinning sensation, a lack of balance or is it perhaps more a feeling of light-headedness,
-do these bout last for seconds, minutes, hours, constant,
-is it exacerbated by other factors such as standing, moving your head rapidly,
-do you have other associated symptoms apart from nausea such as headache, hearing loss, visual disturbances, lack of coordination in your movements, numbness sensation in the face/limbs
-do you suffer from any other conditions or take any medications.
Judging from your current description, since you don't mention any other neurological symptoms or medication, I would consider an inner ear origin most likely in light also of your past problems.
However as I said before at times differentiation is very difficult and a physical neurological exam is often vital and is recommended to search for other neurological signs which would warrant imaging tests for the possibility of stroke. I wouldn't consider it very likely considering you episode of 2 years ago but it has to be excluded since symptoms are persisting.
I remain at your disposal for further questions, possibly with the answers to the questions above.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
The dizziness with the recent episode was light-headedness and nausea. Movement would cause the light-headedness. The first few days I did not move much or eat much. I have had a number of headaches, my vision and hearing are not as good anymore. A constant ringing in my ears is always bothered me for quite a number of years. Although I am feeling better now and I am functioning at a fairly normal, I still get fatigued easily and certain movements such as looking up still gets the lightheadedness. I do know what the vertigo is and this is very different. I know about the maneuvers that correct the positional vertigo and when this problems get bad I see a therapist about it and the maneuvers correct this issue. When I went to this therapist she suggested that I go see a Neuro-otologist in XXXXXXX for a vestibular/inner ear testing.
I do not take medications apart from supplements. I do have a bad thyroid and take natural supplement recommended by my natural path. I don't wish to take drugs as I watched my mother suffer for years before her death from to many prescription drugs.
I do not take medications apart from supplements. I do have a bad thyroid and take natural supplement recommended by my natural path. I don't wish to take drugs as I watched my mother suffer for years before her death from to many prescription drugs.
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for bringing some more info.
From what I understand it looks like the headache and visual issues are more of a chronic problem already present before. Please correct me if I am wrong on that, because if they appeared abruptly with the dizziness then a stroke would be likely and you would need to see the doctor right away.
Reading at that description I believe that the origin is in the inner ear. I do agree with the therapist that an evaluation and testing by a neuro/otologist is advisable even though you seem to be slowly improving.
If you change your mind about medication help, a course of an antihistaminic like meclizine might alleviate your symptoms.
I hope to have been of help.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for bringing some more info.
From what I understand it looks like the headache and visual issues are more of a chronic problem already present before. Please correct me if I am wrong on that, because if they appeared abruptly with the dizziness then a stroke would be likely and you would need to see the doctor right away.
Reading at that description I believe that the origin is in the inner ear. I do agree with the therapist that an evaluation and testing by a neuro/otologist is advisable even though you seem to be slowly improving.
If you change your mind about medication help, a course of an antihistaminic like meclizine might alleviate your symptoms.
I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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