What it means
A kind of dizzinessDIZ-ee-nesA feeling of being lightheaded, unsteady or off balance, or that the room is spinning.Full entry in which the person feels motion that is not happening. It most often comes from the inner ear, as in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Ménière disease or an inner ear infection, but it can also come from the brain, such as a stroke. Nausea, vomiting and trouble walking often come with it.
For the nurse
Help the client move slowly and keep the bed low with side rails and call light in reach to prevent falls. Ask whether the room spins (vertigo) or they feel faint (lightheadedness), since the causes differ. Sudden vertigo with slurred speech, double vision or weakness can be a stroke and is reported at once.
At a glance
| Spanish | vértigo |
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