WelcomeI must begin by being absolutely clear and state that I am NOT a doctor or a medical expert on dizziness or vertigo. I am simply a long term vertigo sufferer and this site is intended for me to share my story and is for information purposes only. I can not promise that the information on this website is up to date or free from error. DO NOT use this website as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always visit your GP and get his/her professional opinion if you are experiencing dizziness/vertigo. The fact you have found my website strongly suggests that you or a loved one is or has been suffering from Vertigo or dizziness and that you are seeking information and help during this testing time in order to understand what is going on.
I created this site so I could share my own experience living with chronic vertigo hoping it can be a place to let you know that you are not alone and the way that you feel is very real indeed. My name is Swimmyhead (well not really but it is my online alter ego). I am 40 years old and a long time vertigo sufferer (Every second for the past 13 years. Don't let my 13 years of being dizzy worry you. It is rare for vertigo and dizziness problems to be long term. It is my understanding that the vast majority of dizziness/vertigo sufferers will make a full recovery within 2 - 8 weeks. When my dizziness and vertigo suddenly appeared I felt scared,lost and alone. I did not understand what the terrible sensations were or the reason behind them. I couldn't understand how my life could drastically alter so severely overnight. I spent a lot of time searching the web looking for others that felt like me and for quality information about vertigo and dizziness. Here I will tell you how my wobbly world first started, the many ups and downs of living with chronic dizziness and vertigo and all of the numerous crazy symptoms I live with day to day. Many of which you or your loved one will undoubtedly recognise. I hope this website and my story helps reassure dizzy/vertigo sufferers that they are not "crazy" and that someone else feels just like you. I post updates on my blog - dizzinessandvertigo.blogspot.co.uk My Twitter profile is - Dizziness and vertigo @Swimmyhead |
What Is Dizziness?The word dizziness can be very hard to describe. Is feeling faint dizziness? what about a spinning sensation? Being able to describe specifically how you are feeling to your doctor is very important in enabling your doctor to get to the root cause of the problem.
Unfortunately being able to describe the differences between dizziness and vertigo is not on many peoples to do list until you happen to be struck down with it. Like many before me I uttered the words "I feel dizzy" on my first visit to my doctor which is pretty vague. I felt more than dizzy but had no idea how to describe what I was feeling. I had never heard of the term vertigo only in relation to the Alfred Hitchcock film with the same name and isn't that a fear of heights anyway? What is Light-headedness? Light-headedness is a "spaced out" dizzy sensation. You do not feel as though you or the world around you is moving. A nauseous feeling may accompany light-headedness. A person may feel faint. What is Vertigo? Vertigo is the illusion of motion. Your surroundings feel and appear as if they are moving when in reality there is no movement at all. If you feel like me, you may feel as though you are spinning, falling, or being pushed and pulled. Feeling nauseous is common and vomiting may occur especially during an attack of true spinning vertigo. You will probably have a tough time walking or even standing. Older people may lose balance and fall leading to injuries. After an attack of true spinning vertigo a feeling of constant Imbalance may follow this can last hours, weeks or even years as in my case. It may certainly leave you bed ridden for days. The world may appear to sway side to side, floors and walls may appear to bend or arc. The floor may feel like it's lifting you up and down or with every step you take or is being dragged out from under you. Your sense of self in space and your perception of depth may be skewed. Your vision may become fuzzy and the world may appear like you are seeing it through the distorted heat of a flame or looking out through a goldfish bowl. Your head may feel foggy and pressured and your hearing/vision and ocular functioning may be disturbed causing (deafness,tinnitus and nystagmus). Dizziness can effect people of all ages. Dizziness and vertigo are life altering but usually not life threatening. |
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