Serious symptoms of serious causes: dizziness

Having a spell of dizziness can be worrying, especially when the causes can be serious issues like a heart attack or stroke. Here are some tips for how to tell what your dizziness means and what you should do about it.

• When your body speaks, you should listen. Most people aren't very good at it, though, and it's tempting to ignore a problem that could signal something bad.
• Even if you do pay attention to your symptoms, it's not easy to know what they mean. That's why diagnosis is a job for a doctor.
• But you can use the information here to help you decide how urgently you need to see one.

• Possible Causes: Dehydration
• Response: Rehydrate with noncaffeinated beverages or an over-the-counter electrolyte solution. Call your doctor if you can't keep liquids down and dizziness persists.

• Possible Causes: An ear infection
• Response: See your doctor, but know that most ear infections clear up on their own within a few days. Use an over-the-counter pain reliever or a heating pad to reduce pain.

• Possible Causes: Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• Response: Go to the hospital immediately. Prompt treatment can save your life and reduce your risk of permanent disability.

• Possible Causes: Heart attack
• Response: Call 911. If your doctor has prescribed nitroglycerin pills to have on hand, take the suggested dose. After you call 911, chew one regular aspirin (325 milligrams) or four low-dose aspirin (81 milligrams each) right away.

• Possible Causes: Heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
• Response: An unusually fast or slow heartbeat is usually harmless, but the symptoms of arrhythmia are so similar to those of heart attack that only a trained medical professional can tell them apart. If you've never had them before, call 911.

• Possible Causes: Positional vertigo (an inner ear disorder)
• Response: Sit or lie still until the dizziness passes. Avoid standing up quickly.

• Possible Causes: A side effect of various medications, especially those for diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and anxiety
• Response: Talk with your doctor about whether a different drug should be substituted. Side effects sometimes disappear after a few days or weeks of taking a medication.

• Possible Causes: Panic attack
• Response: Breathe deeply and try to relax. If symptoms persist, call your doctor. Frequent panic attacks can be treated with therapy, medication and relaxation techniques such as meditation.