Description
What causes dizziness and vertigo, and how can you tell the difference between spinning, lightheadedness and feeling unsteady? As we age, changes in the inner ear, vision and other systems can make balance more challenging.
In this episode of Aging Forward, Mayo Clinic geriatrician Christina Chen, M.D., talks with audiologist Colton T. Clayton, Au.D., Ph.D., about the different types of dizziness and what they may tell you about the underlying cause. They explain the difference between dizziness and vertigo, why the timing and triggers of symptoms matter and how the inner ear, eyes, muscles, nerves and brain work together to keep you balanced.
They also discuss benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), a common cause of vertigo, as well as other potential causes of dizziness, including medications, dehydration and blood pressure changes. Plus, learn why a hearing test can be an important part of evaluating chronic dizziness and balance problems.
In this episode, you'll learn:
• The difference between dizziness and vertigo
• What lightheadedness and disequilibrium feel like
• Why timing and triggers can help identify the cause of dizziness
• How your inner ear helps control balance
• How vision, muscles, nerves and the brain contribute to balance
• Why balance can change as you age
• What BPPV is and how to recognize its symptoms
• How medications and dehydration can cause dizziness
• Why you shouldn't stop a medication without talking to your doctor
• Why hearing tests are part of a dizziness evaluation
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00:00 Introduction
01:41 What does dizziness feel like?
02:35 Dizziness vs. vertigo
03:14 Lightheadedness and disequilibrium
04:21 Why timing and triggers matter
06:13 How your balance system works
06:38 How the inner ear controls balance
08:09 How vision and touch affect balance
09:16 How the brain keeps you balanced
10:59 How balance changes with age
12:02 Age-related changes in the inner ear
13:15 Ear crystals and positional vertigo
14:21 How vision changes affect balance
15:09 What is BPPV?
16:55 Classic symptoms of BPPV
18:18 Other causes of dizziness
18:37 Medications that can cause dizziness
19:15 Dehydration and lightheadedness
19:54 What to do if medication is making you dizzy
21:47 Why dizziness evaluations include a hearing test
23:03 What's next in Part 2