Advance preparation can help you get the most out of limited time with doctors and other health professionals.

How to get ready

• Bring a list of all medicines – including non-prescription supplements – to your appointment.
• Think about how to describe how you are feeling - when you simply say, “I feel dizzy” it is challenging for your health care team to understand what you mean. “Dizzy” and “dizziness” are words that are commonly used to describe several different physical sensations that make you feel unwell. Try to use precise words to describe your symptoms. This helps your health practitioner narrow down the list of possible problems and work towards a diagnosis and treatment. Helpful terms to use include:
  • vertigo (spinning sensation)
  • light-headedness, wooziness or feeling as though you are about to faint
  • blurred or jumpy vision
  • rocking or swaying (sensation of the kind of movement you feel when on a boat)
  • imbalanced or disequilibrium
  • spatial disorientation (inability to correctly determine your body position in space)
• Sometimes the symptoms can be difficult to put into words – “I can’t explain it, I just feel something’s wrong” can be an important and helpful thing to tell a health professional. It is also helpful to use gestures. Using analogies is also useful – for example, “I feel like I’m on a merry-go-round” or “I feel like I’m drunk.”
• Think about how often you have symptoms. Is it:
  • daily (once or several times a day)
  • weekly
  • monthly
  • irregularly
  • continuous
  • only once
  • only when you do something specific (such as turn your head)
• Think about how long your symptoms last. Is it:
  • seconds
  • minutes
  • hours
  • days
  • continuously
• Think about when the problem started. Was it a day, week, month, year or decade ago? For example, did it start after:
  • viral illness
  • head injury
  • medical or surgical intervention
  • journey on a boat, train or plane
  • without any clear cause
• Think about what triggers your symptoms and what makes them worse. For example:
  • general head movement
  • walking
  • rolling over in bed
  • bending over or looking up
  • being a passenger in a car or plane
  • walking in a supermarket aisle
  • walking in semi-darkness or on uneven ground
  • coughing
  • noise
  • visual
  • completely spontaneous
• Think about any other ear-related symptoms you have and when these happen. For example, do you:
  • have fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and/or aural fullness (feeling of pressure in your ears)
  • hear your own voice and breathing (autophony)
  • have drainage from your ear or ear pain
  • do these symptoms happen before, during, or after attacks, in between, or are they long lasting
• Think about other symptoms you may have. For example, do you have:
  • headache or migraine (current and in the past)
  • abnormal tingling, pricking, chilling, burning or numb sensations in your face or limbs (paresthesia)
  • partial loss of vision or a blind spot (scotoma)
  • anxiety or fear when you hear some sounds (phonophobia)
  • light sensitivity (photophobia)
  • palpitations (sensation that your heart is pounding or racing)
  • hyperventilation (breathing that is deeper and more rapid than normal)
  • speech problems
  • double vision (diplopia)
  • neck pain or stiffness
  • fainting or feeling as though you are about to faint
  • falls or fear of falling
• Think about how your symptoms have changed. Are they:
  • persistent
  • improving
  • worsening
  • going up and down
• Bring a list of any questions you may have.
• Take along a notebook – you may be bombarded with a lot of information in a short period of time. You will remember more if you jot down notes.
• Consider having a family member or friend come with you.

Tips for asking questions

Asking questions about your dizziness and/or imbalance can help you be an active participant in your diagnosis and treatment. There are many opportunities to ask questions, including when you:

• see your family doctor, emergency general practitioner or specialists
• have clinical tests to assess dizziness or imbalance
• purchase prescribed medication or over-the-counter medications from a pharmacy
• go to a physio- or occupational therapist or audiologist for vestibular rehabilitation

Appointment times may be short; however health care providers want you to know about your condition as well as how it affects your health and what can be done to help.

If you ask a question and still do not understand, ask your health care provider to explain again. Do not hesitate to ask for:

• explanations of medical terms that are new to you
• written instructions about recommended treatments
• copies of test results

Self-care while waiting for appointments

Dizziness and imbalance are often short-term conditions that resolve on their own. In other cases, there can be a wait time before diagnosis or treatment. In both cases, simple self-care strategies may help.

These include:

• slow down – take your time when changing to a standing position
• drink plenty of fluids – a sign of good hydration is clear or pale yellow urine
• avoid alcohol, caffeine, sodium and tobacco – these substances can increase dizziness
• avoid crowded and visually busy spaces – they may provoke dizziness
• look at a fixed object nearby – this can help with bouts of visually induced vertigo
• practice relaxation techniques – stress and anxiety can increase your symptoms of dizziness
• lessen your risk of falling – learn and use falls prevention
• stay in the present moment – focus on what you can effectively do right now, rather than worrying about what might happen

Sources

Wuyts FL, Van Rompaey V, Maes LK. “SO STONED”: Common sense approach of the dizzy patient. Front Surg. 2016. 3:32. Available from: https://bit.ly/32oVi3h