Most of us have had some kind of dizziness at some point in our lives, maybe for a few seconds if we ‘stood up too quickly’, or if we have been ill. But if you are getting dizzy often or for periods of time, then it is time to get yourself diagnosed. Feeling like the world is rolling around is no fun, and it’s important to find out what’s going on, and if there is anything that can be done to get rid of your dizzy spells.
Here at Physicians Hearing Care in East Tennessee, we can help find out what’s causing your dizziness by giving you a hearing evaluation. Dizziness often comes from your inner ear and brain being out of sync. It can also be linked to hearing loss. But what’s causing the dizziness takes some working out and, along with a hearing evaluation, we need to ask you various questions. Here are some to think about before coming for your evaluation.
Timing
Is your dizziness a constant companion, or does it come on in attacks? Does it sneak up on you unannounced or do you get some kind of warning of its arrival? Between attacks, are you dizziness-free or is there always a slight hint of it lurking?
Added extras
Do you have anything else going on when you get dizzy? Is your hearing affected? Does it prevent you from walking in the dark?
Stoppers and starters
Do you know of anything that can stop an attack, or anything that triggers them or makes them worse?
Your personal dizziness
Everyone’s dizziness is different. Does yours make you feel light-headed or give you a swimming sensation in your head? Do you lose consciousness or have a black out when you are dizzy? Does the world turn around you, or do you turn while the world stands still? Do you get headaches, feel nauseous and about to vomit, or have pressure in the head?
The staggers
Do you find yourself staggering about, perhaps more to one side than the other? Which side?
Toppling over
Do you actually fall over? In which direction, generally?
Other senses
Is your vision affected? Or your hearing? Do you have trouble swallowing, or feel numbness in your limbs?
Your life
Do you smoke or drink? Have you had new glasses, or a head or neck injury?
Playing dectective
You can see from all these questions how working out what’s causing your dizziness can take a while. However, we can help speed things up by finding how your dizziness is linked to damage or some other issues to do with your hearing. Take the first step to solving the mystery by booking a hearing test with us at PHC. We have centres in five locations in East Tennessee.
