Artwork Provided by Andrew Reach: www.AndrewReach.com

Dizziness and vertigo are two words used interchangeably these days, when in fact they mean two different things.

“Dizziness” is an umbrella term pertaining to an uncomfortable sensation of inner confusion. In addition to vertigo, dizziness also includes common lightheadedness, equilibrium imbalance, and other common disorienting conditions.

“Vertigo,” on the other hand, is a special kind of dizziness marked by a spinning sensation. You may remember spinning like a top when you were a kid, then enjoying (yes, it was fun back then, wasn’t it) the disorienting sensation that followed when you stopped. The spinning sensation, whether clockwise or counter-clockwise, is the defining characteristic of vertigo.

As you get older, the sensation you get from vertigo becomes less and less amusing. The disorientation may lead to falls and injuries, and may even get in the way of common tasks in the home and office. Not surprisingly, individuals suffering from regular attacks of vertigo spend more time sitting or lying down, trying to keep from passing out, than on their feet leading productive lives.

In America, about two in every five individuals seek treatment for dizziness and vertigo within their lifetimes. This statistic doesn’t take into account those individuals who don’t pay their doctors a visit regarding their condition and soldier on with their lives despite the risk.

That means one thing – chances are you have suffered, or will suffer, from dizziness and vertigo in some point of your life.

Doctors all over the world attribute dizziness and vertigo to several causes, including ear infections, motion sickness, strokes, and other problems with the ear and brain. With so many causes, there are also a wide variety of treatment options available – none of which, sadly, have been found to cure the condition completely.

I, on the other hand, have found two causes underlying vertigo, as well as all the other dizziness conditions. They are: