New Delhi: Dizziness can be due to a host of conditions and could refer to spinning, light-headedness, imbalance, or woozy sensation; stroke, on the contrary, is a neurologic emergency and one needs to be aware of the symptoms and signs of a stroke which mandate urgent attention. Dizziness could be due to low blood pressure, low blood sugars, or electrolyte imbalance in the body. Other conditions that lead to giddiness are low hemoglobin, thyroid dysfunction, and certain medications. It could also be due to motion sickness after travel.
In an interaction with News9Live, Dr. Shobha N, Consultant – Neurologist & Stroke Physician, Manipal Hospital Malleshwaram, decoded the difference between a dizzy spell and a stroke.
A variant of migraine headache called vertiginous migraine, the diseases that affect the inner ear like benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, labyrinthitis, and Meniere’s disease, conditions affecting the peripheral vestibular apparatus which consists of the saccule, utricle, semi-circular canals are affected also can show up with dizziness. Additionally, some systemic conditions such as cardiac conditions, autonomic diseases, chronic stress, and anxiety can give rise to giddiness.
How to spot the difference between stroke and dizziness?
A stroke is a medical emergency where the blood supply to the brain is blocked or compromised. Stroke leads to central vertigo where there is ischemia of the vestibular nuclei in the brain, cerebellum, or its connections. The clinical features that alert one to the diagnosis of stroke rather than a simple dizzy spell include the following:
Sudden onset: Sudden onset of giddiness is one of the important clues towards a stroke diagnosis. The sudden giddiness is accompanied by neurologic signs, that are noted as red flags of stroke:
- Weakness of limbs: Sudden onset of weakness of limbs – monoparesis –where one limb is involved or hemiparesis where one side of the body gets affected.
- Facial weakness: Drooping of the face on one side, asymmetry of face while smiling, and speaking.
- Language dysfunction: Difficulty producing words such as producing new/unformed words, and slurred speech.
- Vision Problems: Double vision, abnormalities of eye movement, loss of vision, or visual blur.
- Imbalance: Imbalance leads to difficulty walking, and using upper limbs for day-to-day activities.
- Other symptoms: Headache, vomiting, numbness, loss of consciousness, loss of memory or confusion, clumsiness or tremors of hands and legs, and severe neck pain.
Patients with underlying health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, other cardiovascular conditions, smoking, alcohol and substance abuse, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, advanced age, mental stress, history of stroke, and family history of stroke are at a higher risk for strokes. Thus it is of paramount importance for the public to be aware of signs and symptoms of stroke to receive timely medical help which could avert medical disasters and save lives.
A stroke can cause irreversible damage if not addressed immediately. Therefore, doctors recommend knowing the symptoms and taking action timely. Health Conditions Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
