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What Causes Persistent Severe Dizziness?
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Possible causes of the symptoms and needed checks are explained in detail
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for asking at healthcaremagic.
I carefully read your question and understand your concern.
Dizziness when looking up is a common symptom in patients that have Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV- which is due to precipitations in the fluids of the ear responsible for balance). The symptoms in this case are triggered by a certain movement and subside quickly after that movement is reversed and avoided.
The dizziness might really be that intense that the person might even fall and it is very important to prevent this and trauma that might come due to the fall.
You will need to see your doctor that will check your ears (the cause of the BPPV) and also do a neurological examination. He might also listen to the arteries on your neck and check your Blood pressure, pulse and heart also.
Your doctor might also decide to do some blood tests like CBC to rule out anemia, and also checks for diabetes (FBS or HbA1C), kidney function (creatinine and electrolytes), lipids, etc.
In the examiantion room your doctor will also verify the BPPV with specific tests and if they are positive (diagnosing the BPPV) than the doctor will do a maneuver to help the precipitations move and make you feel better. There is no other treatment for BPPV and pills do not help.
So to conclude i would say:
- see your doctor and he/she will do examinations to find the cause of the dizziness
- most likely dizziness when looking up is due to BPPV and is easily diagnosed and treated in the office with certain maneuvers.
- ruling out other less likely causes but important ones is important like doing neurological examination and checking the neck vessels, the BP, pulse and the heart and doing a general check to see how you are doing might be needed also.
- please avoid quick movements in the direction that causes you the symptoms to prevent severe crises and falls as these can be very important.
I hope this is helpful and answers to your questions but please feel free to reply if more clarification is needed on this.
Kind regards,
Antoneta Zotaj, MD
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