Dizziness Types, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention

Dizziness
Dizziness is a common condition one feels at some or the other time in life. It is a light-headed feeling as if the head is reeling around which causes loss of balance and unsteadiness. It is often described as ‘Vertigo’, in medical terms referring to the sensation of spinning or whirling of a person and the surrounding. The state of dizziness is caused due to insufficient flow of blood in the brain. The initial symptoms may not be dangerous but in the long run it could become serious.

Types

The classification of dizziness is based upon minor or major complications of the body.

Vertigo: A feeling of the head reeling of the person and the surrounding. This may be caused due to inner ear infections and imbalance in the brain. It may be considered as the symptom of a tumor or stroke.

Syncope: A feeling of dizziness that arises because of standing up very quickly or taking deep breaths continuously.
Non-vertigo non-syncope: A condition of serious dizziness causing disequilibrium in the movement.

Symptoms

A person with dizziness might experience a lot of other symptoms apart from being tired and imbalanced. The following are some of the symptoms relating to light-headedness.

Excessive tiredness
Fainting
Nausea
Vomiting
State of confusion
Head reeling or vertigo
Weakness
Numbness on the face
Hearing deficiency
Blurred vision
Squeezing pain in the chest
Persistence of heart beat
Abdominal pain
Loss of balance
Speech impairment
Causes

People with high blood pressure or low blood pressure are affected by dizziness. A sudden downfall of blood pressure might not allow the brain to get enough blood. Dehydration in the body leads to vomiting and nausea resulting in the loss of water. One might feel dizzy even because of dehydration. Irregularity in heart rhythms, weak heart muscles, strokes or tumors might cause the sensation of light-headedness. Some medications or drugs and consumption of alcohol may also lead to the confused state of mind. Low blood oxygen (hypoxia), low blood sugar and dehydration might be the reasons for becoming dizzy. The condition might occur even if one suffers from flu, cold or allergies.



Aged people lacking the ability to perform exercises and poor circulation of the blood are prone to be the victims of dizziness. Depression, anxiety and other psychological disorders often result in developing panic attacks where breathing becomes fast because of too much of oxygen entering the brain. Certain medications used to control blood pressure turn out to make one dizzy.

Diagnosis

A thorough physical examination and careful analysis of the symptoms might signify the presence of dizziness in a patient. The disease can be diagnosed by checking the pulse rate and blood pressure. Heavy menstrual period in women would lead to a pelvic test. A close observation of heart and lungs might examine the problem of shortness in breath. Complete blood count and blood sugar levels can be tested with a series of blood tests. Kidney function tests and thyroid tests help the physician in the process of diagnosis. In some cases X-rays, CT Scans, ECG, hearing tests, balance testing (ENG) and MRI might become essential.

Treatment

Light-headedness is said to be a temporary state of sensation that disappears without any treatment. Quite often the treatment for dizziness is based upon the cause of its occurrence. Light-headedness caused due to dehydration and loss of fluids might be treated to control vomiting by giving IV fluids to the patient. Medications like antihistamines, sedatives and anti-nausea treatment might be provided in severe condition. In the case of heart problems, dizziness is treated with specialized medication and treatment. A heart stroke or attack may need emergency hospitalization. A surgery might become important for Meniere’s disease. Patients suffering from fever or infection might be given medicines to control it. Treatment for the increase of electrolyte levels is given if the blood count is observed to be low in a blood test.
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Complications

Dizziness results in complications like getting injured easily, sheer occurrence of an accident while driving a two-wheeler or a car and long term health hazards. The feeling of faintness and light-headedness might disturb the daily activity. The symptoms of the sensation might lead to other diseases. Unsteadiness or imbalance may be a sign of stroke, brain tumor, seizures, multiple sclerosis or bleeding in the brain. Sometimes it may lead to loss of consciousness, drooping of the face, unclear speech and extreme weakness. In cases of severity emergency observation might be necessary.

Prevention

To prevent light-headedness one need to be conscious about the posture of sitting and standing. Getting up slowly from a bed, sitting and standing slowly avoids sudden gush of blood from flowing into the brain. Standing up or walking with the help of a support would help older people. Exposure to bright lights, TV screen and sudden movements might worsen the situation. Dizziness, once identified, requires careful attention. It is better to avoid driving, operating heavy machines and walking without help at that stage. Some medications which cause a dizzy sensation may be identified. It is often suggested to stop such medications. Avoiding the consumption of caffeine and alcohol would help to a great extent. Prevention of salty items or sweet treats in the diet would be the best precautionary measure to escape dizziness.

Home remedies

A mixture of salt, vinegar, mustard, cheese, pepper and cayenne in equal proportions would help as the best home remedy for dizziness. Lemon juice with black pepper, salt and water serves as the best medicine for light-headedness. Yoghurt mixture with orange, lemon and tangerine also helps. Amla powder with coriander seeds soaked overnight and filtered would be the most effective natural remedy. Herbal oils can also be massaged on the head to relieve the sensation of light-headedness.

A few steps can also be followed while one is experiencing the feeling of dizziness. Concentrating on a static object at that stage would help the symptoms to disappear quickly. Sufficient intake of water would prevent dehydration. Slow and deep breathing helps in the restoration of carbon dioxide.
Though dizziness is harmless at any stage, it cannot be ignored out of its cure. Most of the times ignoring the sensation would lead to serious complications of a disease. Evaluation and treatment on time would relieve one from dizziness as it might be an outcome of a disease inwardly born.

Endometriosis Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Complications

Endometriosis
Endometrium is referred to the layer of tissue growing inside the uterus (womb). Endometriosis is a condition wherein the endometrial tissue has its growth outside the uterus like lining cells and is seen in the pelvic area, the ovaries, fallopian tubes or the intestines, rectum or bladder. This condition might cause pain, bleeding and even infertility. Severe bleeding occurs as blood flowing from the endometrial tissue that has grown outside the uterus, does not have an outlet to move. Few women experience severe bleeding and pain with the growth of cysts, lesions and scars on the tissue during menstruation cycle. Others might not feel uncomfortable even in the case of endometriosis.

It is often observed that women aged between 25 and 35 are diagnosed to be having endometriosis. In rare cases girls aged 11 might also fall under this category. It is believed that women who delay pregnancy till an older age are always at the risk of developing the condition.

Symptoms

Very few symptoms may be identified during endometriosis. However, some women might experience mild or severe symptoms occurring overtime. The following are some of the symptoms:

Pain during menstruation
Severe pelvic pain
Pain in the lower abdomen
Difficulty in becoming pregnant
Pain during intercourse
Irregular or heavy bleeding during periods
Constipation
Painful or frequent urination during periods
Blood in the urine
Extreme tiredness
Pain with bowel movements
Pelvic or low back pain
Diarrhea
Chest pain, seizures, head ache and blood cough are rare symptoms of endometriosis.

Causes

The exact cause for endometriosis is not perfectly clear. It is treated to be a common problem. The most important cause might include the endometrial cells that become loose where the menstrual flow gets into the fallopian tubes and the abdominal cavity and pelvis during menstruation cycle. This is known as retrograde flow. Most of the women suffer from retrograde flow. The growth of endometrial cells lining the pelvic organs might also experience a growth of different forms of tissue. The other possible reasons might be early menstruation, early menstrual cycles, and women without children and blocks that stop the flow during menstrual cycle. Small pieces of endometrial cells might move to the blood vessels or the lymphatic system and reach the other parts of the body such as eyes, brain, skin or lungs. Some women with low immune system and dysfunctions are at the risk of endometriosis. People exposed to environmental toxins might also experience a disadvantageous effect on the hormones and the immune system. It is also observed that the disease might affect others based on the hereditary condition of a family.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of endometriosis might not be very clear even for women. However, the most common symptom for endometriosis might be observed with pelvic pain. A thorough physical check up might also show the symptoms of the disease. Pelvic exam helps the gynecologist to diagnose the disease. Transvaginal ultrasound helps in identifying the disease more clearly. Pelvic laparoscopy is another test to remove a tissue and conduct a biopsy. It is done under a general anesthesia to observe the sample under a microscope. Ultra sound, MRI scans, CA 125 and other tests might also help in recognizing the disease though none of them actually reveal a confirmation.

Treatment

There is no absolute cure for endometriosis. However, the treatments enhance in the reduction of its symptoms and allow a person to work in the normal pace. The first treatment to be given to such patients is to increase the production of estrogen in the body. Hormonal therapy might help in regulating the flow during menstruation. Oral contraceptive pills, progesterone pills or injections, Danazol and Mirena are some of the medications given to reduce the intensity of endometriosis. Medications might only prevent from worsening the situation. Pelvic laproscopy or laparotomy might destruct the growth of endometrial tissue and scar tissue. Removal of the uterus might be suggested to women who are not willing to produce children in future. Hysterectomy can also be a possible solution for the disease where both the ovaries are removed.

It is often observed that the kind of treatment is based upon factors like age of the patient, severe conditions to the disease and the willingness to want children in future.

Complications

The disease might lead to complications relating to pregnancy. Pelvic pain might become intolerable and disturb the other activities. Cysts might form in the pelvis and might cause severe pain. Sometimes gastrointestinal or urinary tracts might experience a blockage after the implants of endometriosis. The usage of progesterone pills or injections might cause depression, increase the weight and lead to blood stains. Excessive use of medications leads to tenderness in the breast, nausea, and other hormonal defects. In rare cases the place where endometriosis develops might experience ovarian cancer after the stage of menopause in women.

Prevention

The usage of birth control pills might prevent the disease to increase its intensity. Use of oral contraceptive pills might reduce the flow during menstruation and also reduce the risk of retrograde bleeding. It is often advised to avoid getting married and barring children at an early age. Change in the lifestyle, taking a healthy diet, exercises and natural therapies might help in the prevention of endometriosis.

Home remedies

The best preventive measure for endometriosis is to avoid toxins in the diet. Eating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water and including fruit juices in the diet help a woman to be free from such disease. Cleaning and grooming habits demand changes for women as they are resistant to acquire such diseases inwardly. Particularly during menstruation cycle it is often advised a woman to be more conscious about cleanliness. Performing physical exercises also help in bringing out the unnecessary toxins in the body in the form of sweat. Some kind of spiritual therapy exercises might also help in balance the mind and thought. Ginger tea would help for people who experience nausea. It is suggested that placing an ice cube on the abdomen would relieve the pain. Fish is said to be the best food to relieve endometriosis. It is better to avoid dairy products like milk, cheese and butter as it makes the disease worse. The use of cabbage improves the state of estrogen in the body. Flax seeds, whole some grains, and salads serve as the best natural remedy to treat endometriosis.

However, it is very clear that there is no definiteness in curing endometriosis. Hormone therapy and pelvic laparoscopy might not serve the purpose. Endometriosis leads to infertility in few women. Laparoscopic surgery might improve the condition of infertility.