Dizziness

The word "dizziness is used to designate a subjective sense of weakened consciousness. In general usage, the words dizziness and vertigo are often used interchangeably, but technically, these two conditions are different. In vertigo, a false sensation of movement is always present. Unlike vertigo, there is no universally accepted definition of the quality of feeling dizzy. Instead, the term is used in a variety of ways to indicate a feeling of weakness, weakened consciousness, or even anxiety. Dizziness, or light-headedness, is sometimes associated with fainting (also called syncope), but may occur even when the person complaining of it shows no decrease in alertness.

The feeling of dizziness is normal under certain circumstances, such as extreme fatigue or hunger. Dizziness is commonly felt in abnormal conditions like poor blood perfussion to the brain because of low blood pressure.

but persists as a chronic or recurrent condition is some people without any obvious cause.

Like pain, dizziness is a purely subjective experience.

A feeling of dizziness may be feared, discounted or even welcomed depending on the identity and cultural background of the person experiencing it. In the 19th Century, western girls and women who easily became "faint" were often admired as showing refinement. On the other hand, admission of feeling faint or dizzy has long been denigrated as showing weakness and can be particularly alarming to atheletes and .

When dizziness occurs along with vertigo,

For patients experiencing chronic dizziness, without vertigo, the condition is often outside of the ability of the health sciences to remedy in routine care. Dizziness without any component of vertigo is technically called "nonspecific dizziness". The medical view of dizziness as a condition tends to be sceptical. For example the definition of dizziness in the Stedman's Medical Dictionary is as follows: Imprecise term commonly used by patients in an attempt to describe various symptoms such as faintness, vertigo, disequilibrium, or unsteadiness. Etymology: A. S. [dyzig,] foolish