Dizziness and Vertigo Treatment Clinic in Rockville MD

Dizziness is not the cause of vertigo but is rather a common symptom of vertigo. The cause of vertigo typically has to do with problems in the inner ear that are related to balance. Specifically, the experience of vertigo can be caused by vestibular neuritis, which is a viral infection of the vestibular nerve in the inner ear, Meniere’s disease, wherein there is an excessive buildup of fluid in the inner ear, migraines, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). BPPV is the most common cause of vertigo and is characterized by the feeling that either you are spinning or the inside of your head is spinning. Consequently, dizziness is commonly associated with the experience of vertigo.

While vertigo and dizziness are often spoken of in the same sentence (including this one!), they are not interchangeable. For one, although vertigo often causes dizziness, it is also associated with several other symptoms, such as increased sweating, horizontal nystagmus, imbalance and unsteadiness, nausea, and vomiting. Moreover, dizziness can be caused by various other conditions or states, including motion sickness, poor blood circulation or a sudden drop in blood pressure, anxiety disorders, dehydration, low blood sugar or iron levels, neurological conditions, and various medications.

However, there is also a further difference between vertigo and dizziness. Whereas dizziness broadly refers to the feeling of being off-balance within a specific space, vertigo is often experienced distinctly as a kind of spinning, either with your surroundings or within yourself, without any actual movement causing the feeling. Vertigo occurs when you are standing still, while dizziness often results from specific movements that cause you to feel off balance.

The duration of vertigo episodes varies with each person and episode. As such, the dizzying feeling of vertigo can last anywhere from seconds to minutes to days, depending on what is causing vertigo, if the individual has previously experienced a stroke, head injury, or neck injury, and if the individual has certain underlying conditions. 

If you are experiencing symptoms of vertigo for the first time, it is a good idea to schedule an appointment with your doctor or come to an urgent care clinic to see a doctor who can examine your symptoms, determine what the underlying cause of your vertigo is, and provide any necessary treatment. While vertigo is not a dangerous illness in and of itself, you should be concerned about vertigo if it is frequently causing you to fall, injure yourself, or put others at risk while driving.

You should also seek immediate medical care if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms along with vertigo:

• Arm or leg weakness, causing you to fall or have difficulty walking
• Blindness or double vision
• Difficulty speaking
• Fever
• Hearing loss
• Loss of consciousness
• Numbness or tingling
• Sudden, severe, and unusual headache

For effective dizziness and vertigo treatment, we invite you to come to Physicians Now Urgent Care in Rockville, Maryland! Please feel free to come to 15215 Shady Grove Road in Rockville, MD, for a walk-in appointment anytime between the hours of 8 AM-6 PM from Monday to Friday or from 9 AM-5 PM on Saturday and Sunday. We serve patients from Rockville MD, Travilah MD, Lone Oak MD, Colesville Park MD, Redland MD, Darnestown MD, Anscroft MD, and Wheaton-Glenmont MD.