Dizziness or Vertigo?

Some patients come into our clinic and tell us that they are dizzy. Upon further questioning, we discover that is more vertigo than dizziness. What’s the difference?

Dizziness is a feeling of feeling faint, woozy or unsteadiness and is usually constant. Generally, it is not positional. Vertigo is more transient. It usually lasts less than a minute and it feels like the world is moving around you. Most often it is dependent on your head position. Once we determine what it is, then there are certain tests that can be done to determine where the source is and what treatment options are out there. Around 80-90% of dizziness or vertigo stem from the inner ear and 10-15% from the eyes or the neck.