High Blood Pressure Slideshow Pictures Heart Disease Slideshow Pictures Stroke Symptoms Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

View Full Profile

When to Seek Medical Care

Dangerous, life-threatening illness may start only with dizziness. Call a doctor if any of the following occur:

• Any severe first time or new instances of dizziness
  
  
• Dizziness without a clear or certain cause, or sudden dizziness
  
  
• Any change in an established pattern of dizziness
  
  
• Worsening or new symptoms
  
  
• Dizziness after taking newly prescribed medications, or recent changes in previous prescriptions

Call 911, an ambulance, or your local emergency response system if you are uncertain of the cause of the dizziness.

• Dizziness may be the only symptom of a heart attack or stroke.
  
  
• If the person has a possibility of heart disease, or known heart disease, an ambulance may save their life.
  
  
• All dizziness with loss of consciousness needs emergency evaluation.
  
  
• The inability to walk straight or falling, especially to one side, could be a sign of a possible stroke and should be evaluated immediately.
  
  
• Any dizziness associated with weakness of an extremity, facial droop, or slurred speech is a sign of a possible stroke and requires emergency evaluation.