Call 911 or go to an emergency room if someone with dizziness also has:

• A head injury
• Fever over 101°F, headache, or very stiff neck
• Convulsions or ongoing vomiting
• Chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, weakness, inability to move an arm or leg, or change in vision or speech
• Fainting and losing consciousness for more than a few minutes

Call your doctor if:

• You have never had dizziness before.
• Symptoms you have had in the past are different (for example, last longer than usual, are worse than before, or are interfering with your daily activities).
• Medication is the suspected cause. Talk to your health care provider before making any changes to your medication.
• You have any hearing loss.

Your doctor will perform a physical exam, focusing on your heart, head, ears, and nervous system, and ask question such as:

• Does your dizziness feel like lightheadedness, vertigo, or imbalance?
• Does your dizziness occur with a change in body position?
• What other symptoms occur when you feel dizzy?
• When did your dizziness begin?
• Are you always dizzy or does the dizziness come and go?
• How long does the dizziness last (minutes, hours)?
• Did another illness develop before or after the dizziness began? How much later?
• Have you had any nausea and vomiting?
• Do you have a significant amount of stress or anxiety?

• Blood pressure measurements and tests
• ECG
• Hearing tests
• Neurological tests
• Balance testing (ENG) may be required.
• MRI

Promptly treat ear infections, colds, flus, sinus congestion, and other respiratory infections. This may help prevent labyrinthitis and Meniere's disease.

If you have a cold, the flu, or other viral illness, drink plenty of fluids to prevent getting dehydrated.

da Costa SS. Meniere's disease: overview, epidemiology, and natural history. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2002; 35(3): 455-495.

Tusa RJ. Dizziness. Med Clin North Am. 2003; 87(3): 609-641, vii.

Swartz R. Treatment of vertigo. Am Fam Physician. 2005; 71(6): 1115-1122.