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74 Yr Old Mother Nauseous, Fainting, Loses Balance. Possible Diagnosis ?
Hi, my 74-year-old mother felt nauseous this morning and had to leave a movie. Tonight, she called out as she began to lose her balance while walking, and I caught her from behind. She told me she had begun to faint when she lost her balance and I caught her; had I not been there, she probably would have fallen on her face. She adamantly refuses my entreaties to see a doctor, even though she has health insurance. She claims she was just tired. What could the possible diagnosis be for the nausea this morning, and the fainting while walking tonight? What can I possibly tell her to convince her to get checked by a doctor?
posted on
Tue, 19 Feb 2013
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Sun, 16 Jun 2013
Answered on
Mon, 17 Jun 2013
Last reviewed on
Hello and welcome to health care magic...
the complaints you have described here appear to be non specific...and could be caused by a number of reasons..yes it would be best to investigate her properly...a simple blood test could rule out a lot of complaints....including sodium or potassium imbalance or even jaundice...
if she is and willing to visit the hospital you could ask a friendly doctor to phone and talk to her...the other option is to call a lab or ambulance service to come and test her at home...this after consulting a doctor who is known to you and who knows her past history...
in any case it is important to have her confidence and not to alarm her...
hope this helps...
Thanks and take care..
Dr. Joe
the complaints you have described here appear to be non specific...and could be caused by a number of reasons..yes it would be best to investigate her properly...a simple blood test could rule out a lot of complaints....including sodium or potassium imbalance or even jaundice...
if she is and willing to visit the hospital you could ask a friendly doctor to phone and talk to her...the other option is to call a lab or ambulance service to come and test her at home...this after consulting a doctor who is known to you and who knows her past history...
in any case it is important to have her confidence and not to alarm her...
hope this helps...
Thanks and take care..
Dr. Joe
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