Dizziness

Book excerpt: "Drs. Gregory Whitman, an otoneurologist, and Robert Baloh, a neurologist, have written a remarkably readable and compassionate book for anyone who has dizziness, whether acutely, episodically, or chronically. Their book describes the conditions that cause dizziness and explains what people with dizziness can do to feel better. For older people especially, addressing dizziness means a better chance of avoiding a fall and retaining independence. The authors begin by explaining why it's important to overcome dizziness and describing how dizziness is diagnosed and treated. They then describe two conditions--benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and orthostatic hypotension--which cause dizzy spells when a person changes position. Next are the causes of dizzy spells that happen in attacks and without any trigger, most prominently Meniere's disease and migraine-associated dizziness. The third part of the book is for people who have a single bout of dizziness that lasts for days and then gradually improves, generally brought on by either vestibular neuritis or stroke and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). Finally, the authors explore the causes of constant dizziness that lasts for days, months, and even years. These are anxiety, Mal de debarquement Syndrome, dizziness due to loss of function in both ears, and small vessel ischemic disease. An Appendix offers advice about home exercises for dizziness, and a Glossary defines terms. This book stands to become the definitive consumer health book on this topic. With the aging of the population, dizziness will become a more common problem, so the book may also be of interest and use to primary care providers"--