Dizziness is a common symptom that’s not usually a sign of anything serious, but should be investigated by a doctor. The term “dizziness” means different things to different people – some use it to describe feeling lightheaded or off balance, while others use it to describe a feeling that their surroundings are spinning.
Because the symptom is quite vague and can be caused by a wide range of things, it may not always be easy to identify the underlying cause of dizziness. Dizziness can sometimes be caused by an ear condition. A simple way of distinguishing between ear-related dizziness and dizziness due to other causes is to determine whether it occurs only when you’re upright or also when you’re lying down.
Dizziness Scale:
Mild: walks normal
Moderate: interferes with normal activities such as playing, school or sports
Severe: can’t stand, needs support to walk, feels like passing out now
Dizziness in children is commonly caused by spinning for too long whilst playing, or standing up too fast. In these instances, there is certainly no cause for concern. Here are few common cause for dizziness in children.
1. BPPV
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, also known as BPPV, is caused by a rapid change in position of your head, which causes a brief, yet intense period of vertigo. This can happen when you sit up or roll over in bed.
2. Problems with Ear
Some diseases with ears can also cause the dizzy feeling.
- Inner ear inflammation: If the inner ear becomes inflamed, it can cause numerous symptoms, including dizziness.
- Ear infection: It is possible for an ear infection to cause dizziness in children. This feeling should pass as the infection clears.
3. Meniere’s Disease
This is a disease that affects the ear, and involves the vast build-up of fluid within your inner ear. With Meniere’s disease, a sudden episode of vertigo will happen. It is possible for this spell of dizziness to last for several hours.
4. Migraine
Those who experience migraines may also experience spells of dizziness, even if they have no headache, the most common symptom associated with a migraine, it is still possible to experience episodes of dizziness.
5. Medications
Some medication that you give to your child may have some side effects, including loss of balance and dizziness, so be sure to check the label and instruction at first.
6. Anxiety Disorders
There are certain anxiety disorders that can cause dizziness in children. Anxiety disorders, such as panic attacks, can lead to prolonged spells of dizziness. It is even possible for dizziness to be caused by some other problems, and to be worsened by anxiety disorders, lasting longer than normal.
7. Anemia
Anemia is the name given to the condition that leads a deficiency in essential nutrients in a person’s blood, including iron, red blood cells, haemoglobin, oxygen and vitamins.
8. Low Blood Sugar
Low blood sugar, also called Hypoglycemia, can cause dizziness in children. Failure to maintain the correct blood sugar levels can lead to episodes of dizziness, especially for those with diabetes.
9. Overheating and Dehydration
If your child becomes dehydrated or overheated, then they may experience spells of dizziness. These episodes are little to worry about, and can easily be avoided by ensuring that they drink plenty of fluids, and don’t stay in the sun for too long.
10. Chronic Subject Dizziness
This is the term given to nonspecific dizziness which does not have an obvious cause that can be determined. This is usually associated to over sensitivity to ones own motion, which is exacerbated by complex visual imagery, such as a movie.
As I have previously mentioned; rarely that dizziness and vomiting may indicate a serious or even life-threatening problem. If the dizziness in your children is frequent and unexplainable or if dizziness and vomiting are accompanied by these kinds of warning signs, such as:
- Chest pain
- Severe abdominal pain or cramping
- Blurred vision
- Confusion
- High fever and stiff neck
- Fecal material or fecal odor in the vomit
- Rectal bleeding
DR WINNIE LIM KHOO : ADULT NEUROLOGIST / HEADACHE MASTER 