Dizziness is a condition in which people feel that their surroundings are whirling about, or that they are falling. This type of dizziness is called vertigo. Another type of dizziness is characterized by light-headedness, the sensation that comes before fainting. It causes a person to stagger or fall. Often there is nausea and vomiting. Brief periods during which there is a reduced flow of blood to the brain may cause dizziness. It may also be caused by changes in the pressure of the fluid in the semicircular canals of the inner ear. Dizziness often accompanies such disorders as anemia, epilepsy, heart trouble, and diseases of the inner ear. See also Ear (Disturbances of the organs of balance).
