Dr. Chung
Dizziness: Misdiagnosed and Mistreated
Dizziness is Hard to Diagnose When people have dizziness as a complaint, it can be one of the most commonly misdiagnosed and mistreated conditions around. The challenge is that dizziness is a symptom that can be associated with lots of different conditions. Here's a short list of conditions associated with dizziness: Primary dizziness: Dizziness as a primary disease entity
Positional vertigo (BPPV)
Meniere's disease Secondary dizziness: Dizziness as a result of another problem
Stroke
Migraine
Concussion
Tumors
Medications On top of that, dizziness means something different to different people. Does your dizziness feel like spinning? Rocking? Feeling off balance? Light headedness? Sometimes the feeling of dizziness can be hard to describe because you just feel disoriented and lost in space. All of these factors are important to help a doctor get the right diagnosis. It means that a doctor has to take a good health history, perform the right bedside tests, and order the appropriate diagnostic testing to find out the cause of your dizziness. Without knowing what's causing this feeling, then administering the right treatment can be a lucky guess at best, or make you more dizzy at worst. It's no wonder that people who have chronic vertigo and other balance issues often see their primary care doctor, neurologist, ENT, physical therapist, acupuncturist, and more looking for answers on how to get their world to stop moving.