Dizziness

video

What is...

What is dizziness?

Dizziness is the feeling that your body or the world around you is moving when it really is not. It has many different causes.

In children, dizziness may occur with some infections. If a virus attacks the place in the inner ear that lets us keep our balance, a child will experience dizziness, particularly when moving his head. Infections in the middle ear (otitis media) can also make a child feel dizzy.

Infections in the part of the brain that helps you walk steadily - called the cerebellum - can result in dizziness and an unsteady walk and a staggering gait. Head injuries, headaches, low blood sugar, dehydration, heat exhaustion and stress also can cause dizziness.

Some young children have repeated episodes of acute dizziness with no known cause. A number of these children go on to develop migraines, and the episodes of dizziness are thought to be a type of a pediatric migraine. Of course, children commonly feel dizzy after spinning around or getting up too quickly. In very rare cases, dizziness can be caused by problems in the brain or heart.

Symptoms

Symptoms and signs

Dizziness is felt as either the child is spinning around or the things around him are spinning.

Small children who cannot describe this will seem afraid and uncomfortable. They may become quiet, cling to their parents or lay down on their back until the feeling of dizziness passes. Sometimes, their skin will become pale and they may have some horizontal eye movements (nystagmus).

Nausea and vomiting, fever, and cold symptoms may also be seen with dizziness.

Complications

Dizziness can make children unsteady, increasing their risk of falling.

Dizziness may also cause coordination problems.

Home treatment

Treatment / What you should do

If your child has repeated episodes of dizziness, you should contact your doctor to have the child examined.

The doctor may need to order additional tests to determine the cause of the dizziness.

Sometimes, your doctor may recommend bed rest until the episode is over or prescribe a medication to lessen the dizziness.

If your child suddenly feels dizzy, you should calm the child, hold him in your arms and stay with him until the dizziness is over. Waves of dizziness typically last only a few minutes, but can last several hours or even several days.

Prevention

Prevention

Dizziness in children sometimes can be prevented by treating the underlying cause. Teach your child to wash his hands frequently to make catching a virus less likely.

Decrease the chance of head injury by making sure your child is properly restrained when riding in any motor vehicle and he wears a helmet when bicycling, roller-blading, skateboarding, riding a scooter, ice-skating and skiing.

Give your child lots of fluids to prevent dehydration, especially when playing outside in warm weather.

Encourage your child to eat nutritious snacks and meals every day.

Related topics

video

Fainting (syncope)

What is fainting? Fainting is a brief loss of consciousness that may cause a person to fall to the...

Partners