Hi doctors How to diffeniate between vertigo and dizziness clinically?
Vertigo is felling of spinning or whirling when you are not actually moving.It is a sence of imbalance while standing or walking.Their is feeling of light headache or syncope. Dizziness is cause by breathing to rapidly (hyperventilation) or anxiety.
Caloric test is done by injecting hot or cold water into the ear canal. When cold water is injected nystagmus is observed in a direction opposite to the side of injection and vice-versa when hot water is injected. In persons with vestibular apparatus damage nystagmus is not observed. So nystagmus is not observed in patients with vertigo because of vestibular apparatus damage. But nystagmus is observed in a patient with dizziness since there is no damage to vestibular apparatus.
