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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffAt some point, nearly half of adults will have an episode of dizziness serious enough to send them to the doctor. Although not everyone affected by dizziness is older, dizziness does become more common with increasing age.
Dizziness can be a momentary sensation or a symptom of a severe balance disorder that makes normal functioning impossible. Although dizziness is a subjective term, it generally refers to three specific sensations:
- Faintness (feeling that you might pass out)
- Loss of balance (feeling unsteady, as if you might fall)
- Vertigo (the sense that the world is spinning around you or that you yourself are spinning)
Describing your symptoms as precisely as possible will make it easier for your doctor to diagnose and treat them.
