Definition

Dizziness can range from fleeting faintness to a severe balance disorder that makes normal functioning impossible. Among adults over age 65, up to 30 percent experience dizziness.

Dizziness may feel like:

• Lightheadedness, as though you might pass out
• Unsteadiness or a loss of balance
• A false sense that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving (vertigo)
• Floating, swimming or heavy-headedness

Dizziness is often temporary and goes away without treatment. As you talk with your doctor about your condition, try to describe your specific symptoms, how the dizziness makes you feel as it is coming on and after it has passed, what triggers it, and how long it lasts. This will help your doctor diagnose the cause and treat it.