- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Arteriovenous Malformations
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Back Pain
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Tumors
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Childhood Brain Tumors
- Delirium
- Dementia
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- Ischemic Stroke
- Memory
- Meningitis
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Movement Disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuroblastoma
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome
- Speech and Language Problems in Children
- Stroke
- Transient Ischemic Attack
- Tremor
- Walking Problems
- West Nile Virus
- A1C
- Blood Glucose
- Diabetes
- Diabetes and Pregnancy
- Diabetes Complications
- Diabetes in Children and Teens
- Diabetes Medicines
- Diabetes Type 1
- Diabetes Type 2
- Diabetic Diet
- Diabetic Eye Problems
- Diabetic Foot
- Diabetic Heart Disease
- Diabetic Kidney Problems
- Diabetic Nerve Problems
- How to Prevent Diabetes
- Hyperglycemia
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Prediabetes
- Abortion
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Diseases
- Breast Reconstruction
- Breastfeeding
- Cervical Cancer
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Cesarean Delivery
- Childbirth
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- Female Infertility
- Health Problems in Pregnancy
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- HPV
- Hysterectomy
- Infections and Pregnancy
- Mammography
- Mastectomy
- Menopause
- Menstruation
- Miscarriage
- Ovarian Cancer
- Ovarian Cysts
- Ovarian Disorders
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pelvic Pain
- Period Pain
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Drug Use
- Pregnancy and Opioids
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Prenatal Care
- Prenatal Testing
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
- Sexual Problems in Women
- Stillbirth
- Teenage Pregnancy
- Trichomoniasis
- Tubal Ligation
- Uterine Cancer
- Uterine Diseases
- Uterine Fibroids
- Vaginal Bleeding
- Vaginal Cancer
- Vaginal Diseases
- Vaginitis
- Vulvar Cancer
- Vulvar Disorders
- Yeast Infections
- Alcohol
- Calcium
- Child Nutrition
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
- Cholesterol Medicines
- DASH Eating Plan
- Eating Disorders
- Food Allergy
- HDL: The “Good” Cholesterol
- High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- How to Lower Cholesterol
- How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet
- Infant and Newborn Nutrition
- LDL: The “Bad” Cholesterol
- Malabsorption Syndromes
- Nutrition for Older Adults
- Pregnancy and Nutrition
- Toddler Nutrition
- Triglycerides
- VLDL Cholesterol
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Ataxia Telangiectasia
- Brain Malformations
- Cerebral Palsy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
- Chiari Malformation
- Cleft Lip and Palate
- Color Blindness
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Craniofacial Abnormalities
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Friedreich Ataxia
- Genetic Counseling
- Hemophilia
- Huntington’s Disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Neural Tube Defects
- Neurofibromatosis
- Newborn Screening
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta
- Prader-Willi Syndrome
- Pregnancy and Medicines
- Rett Syndrome
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Spina Bifida
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Tourette Syndrome
- Tuberous Sclerosis
- Usher Syndrome
- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Allergy
- Animal Bites
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Aplastic Anemia
- Asthma
- Asthma in Children
- Childhood Leukemia
- Childhood Vaccines
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- COVID-19 Vaccines
- Cryptosporidiosis
- Eosinophilic Disorders
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Giant Cell Arteritis
- Hay Fever
- HIV
- HIV and Infections
- HIV in Women
- Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Infectious Diseases
- Infectious Mononucleosis
- Juvenile Arthritis
- Kawasaki Disease
- Lymphedema
- Lymphoma
- Multiple Myeloma
- Pemphigus
- Pneumocystis Infections
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Tonsillitis
- Vaccines
- Viral Infections
- Adhesions
- Ankle Injuries and Disorders
- Arm Injuries and Disorders
- Back Injuries
- Brachial Plexus Injuries
- Burns
- Chest Injuries and Disorders
- Concussion
- CPR
- Dislocated Shoulder
- Dislocations
- Elbow Injuries and Disorders
- Eye Injuries
- Facial Injuries and Disorders
- Finger Injuries and Disorders
- Foot Injuries and Disorders
- Fractures
- Hand Injuries and Disorders
- Heel Injuries and Disorders
- Hip Injuries and Disorders
- Inhalation Injuries
- Insect Bites and Stings
- Jaw Injuries and Disorders
- Knee Injuries and Disorders
- Leg Injuries and Disorders
- Mosquito Bites
- Neck Injuries and Disorders
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Shoulder Injuries and Disorders
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Sprains and Strains
- Tick Bites
- Toe Injuries and Disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Wrist Injuries and Disorders
- Acute Bronchitis
- Bird Flu
- Chronic Bronchitis
- COPD
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019)
- Croup
- E-Cigarettes
- Fistulas
- Flu
- Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
- H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
- Legionnaires’ Disease
- Lung Cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
- Sleep Apnea
- Smoking
- Tuberculosis
- Whooping Cough
- Anatomy
- Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Birth Control
- Chlamydia Infections
- Circumcision
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Genital Herpes
- Genital Warts
- Gonorrhea
- Herpes Simplex
- Infertility
- Male Infertility
- Penis Disorders
- Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Prostate Diseases
- Reproductive Hazards
- Sexual Health
- Sexual Problems in Men
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Syphilis
- Testicular Cancer
- Testicular Disorders
- Vasectomy
- Abdominal Pain
- Bad Breath
- Bleeding
- Breathing Problems
- Bruises
- Chest Pain
- Choking
- Chronic Pain
- Constipation
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness and Vertigo
- Edema
- Fainting
- Fever
- Frostbite
- Gas
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Heat Illness
- Hives
- Hypothermia
- Indigestion
- Itching
- Jaundice
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Pain
- Rare Diseases
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Sciatica
- Speech and Communication Disorders
- Stuttering
Dizziness and Vertigo
Summary
When you’re dizzy, you may feel lightheaded, woozy, or disoriented. If you feel like you or the room are spinning, you have vertigo. These feelings may make you lose your balance.
Dizziness can have many different causes. A sudden drop in blood pressure or being dehydrated can make you dizzy. Many people feel lightheaded if they get up too quickly from sitting or lying down. Certain medicines and problems with your inner ear may cause dizziness. So can motion sickness. Sometimes dizziness can be a symptom of other disorders.
As people get older, they may have more health problems and take more medicines. This makes them more likely to have problems with dizziness and balance.
Dizziness usually gets better by itself or is easily treated. If you are dizzy often, you should see your health care provider to find the cause.
NIH: National Institutes of Health
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Related Issues
- Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease (AIED) Vestibular Disorders Association
- Cholesteatoma American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
- Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct (EVA) Vestibular Disorders Association
- Otosclerosis National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Older Adults
- Balance & Aging Vestibular Disorders Association
Diagnosis and Tests
- Balance Tests National Library of Medicine
- Videonystagmography (VNG) National Library of Medicine
Specifics
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo American Academy of Family Physicians
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) Vestibular Disorders Association
- Causes of Dizziness, Vertigo, and Disequilibrium Vestibular Disorders Association
- Cervicogenic Dizziness Vestibular Disorders Association
- Labyrinthitis and Vestibular Neuritis Vestibular Disorders Association
- Mal de Debarquement (Sickness of Disembarkment) Vestibular Disorders Association
- Ototoxicity Vestibular Disorders Association
- Perilymph Fistula Vestibular Disorders Association
- Vestibular Migraine (Migraine Associated Vertigo or MAV) Vestibular Disorders Association
Patient Handouts
- Benign positional vertigo Medical Encyclopedia
- Benign positional vertigo — aftercare Medical Encyclopedia
- Dizziness Medical Encyclopedia
- Dizziness and vertigo — aftercare Medical Encyclopedia
- Electronystagmography Medical Encyclopedia
- Epley maneuver Medical Encyclopedia
- Labyrinthitis Medical Encyclopedia
- Vertigo-associated disorders Medical Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia
- Caloric stimulation Medical Encyclopedia
- Labyrinthitis — aftercare Medical Encyclopedia
Treatments and Therapies
- Canalith Repositioning Procedure Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Home-Based Exercise Vestibular Disorders Association
- Medication (for Vestibular Disorders) Vestibular Disorders Association
- Surgical Procedures for Vestibular Dysfunction Vestibular Disorders Association
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Dizziness National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Vertigo National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Vestibular Diseases National Institutes of Health
Living With
- Dealing With Dizziness: Getting Help for a Balance Disorder National Institutes of Health
- Living with a Vestibular Disorder Vestibular Disorders Association
- Support Group Directory Vestibular Disorders Association
Find an Expert
- Directory of Organizations (Deafness and Communication Disorders) National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
- Find an ENT American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Start Here
- Dizziness Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Children
- Dizziness and Balance Problems in Kids: Spinning Sensations and Unsteadiness National Institutes of Health
- Ototoxicity (Ear Poisoning) (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
Reference Desk
- Human Balance System Vestibular Disorders Association
- NIDCD Glossary National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
- Types of Vestibular Disorders Vestibular Disorders Association
Journal Articles
Symptoms
- What are the Symptoms of a Vestibular Disorder? Vestibular Disorders Association