But like pain, dizziness is a warning that something else may be wrong. Something we need to detect and treat. Dizziness can be a symptom of all sorts of disorders. Most common are vestibular disorders - problems in the inner ear, particularly in the vestibular system which controls our sense of balance. Or dizziness can be a sign of cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure or anemia.
Dizziness can be a symptom of an infection - bacterial or viral.
Dizziness can also be a reaction to some medications, especially a category of antibiotics called aminoglycosides. Sometimes no specific cause for dizziness can be identified, but by eliminating the more serious possibilities, you and your physician can confidently deal with the symptoms. The tests are based on the fact that the muscles controlling eye-movements have a direct connection to the balance system, resulting in s specific type of eye movement called nystagmus when there is a balance disorder. The tests are painless and do not involve any type of injections, pins or needle sticks, medications, or dyes. There are some medications that can alter the results of the tests and disguise any problems that may be present, so it is necessary that these medications be discontinued for at least two days before the test.