Hello, this is Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic.
The world is spinning and I feel dizzy.
One day suddenly, or with surprising changes, the world spins and I feel dizzy. Just getting up from a sitting position makes everything go dark, and in severe cases, it brings a feeling of nausea and vomiting. Even after getting ENT tests at the hospital, they say there is no special abnormality, and neurologist tests only give a "normal" verdict, which only increases frustration and anxiety. This kind of dizziness severely disrupts daily life and becomes a main culprit in lowering quality of life. What is the cause of the dizziness I am experiencing right now, and where on earth can I find a solution?
Key Answer: Top 3 most common causes of the feeling that the world is spinning and I am dizzy:
- Autonomic imbalance / 2. Cervical dizziness / 3. Chronic stress and fatigue Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic resolves the root cause of dizziness through autonomic stabilization and restores bodily balance.
Why does dizziness happen in the first place?
Dizziness goes beyond simple lightheadedness or vertigo, manifesting in various forms such as a feeling of oneself or surroundings spinning around (vertigo), feeling like one's body is floating, or a sense of unsteadiness where it is difficult to maintain balance. These symptoms occur because the vestibular organs (inner ear), vision, cerebellum, and autonomic nervous system, which control our body's balance, are closely connected and work together. If a problem occurs in any of these areas, dizziness can happen.
One of the most common causes is problems in the inner ear, such as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), Meniere's disease, and vestibular neuritis. However, aside from these organic problems, 'autonomic imbalance' is cited as an important cause of dizziness frequently appearing in modern people. The autonomic nervous system is an important system regulating the homeostasis of vital activities such as blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, and body temperature in our body. When the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves breaks down, abnormal signals occur in various parts of the body, leading to dizziness. In particular, stress, overwork, and lack of sleep are major causes of disrupting autonomic balance. Also, cervical dizziness caused by neck muscle or joint problems is an undeniable cause.
Why do ENT tests show no abnormalities, yet I keep feeling dizzy?
"The test results are normal, but why am I still dizzy?" is one of the most frequently expressed frustrations among dizziness patients. Even when advanced equipment is used for tests in ENT or neurology departments, organic abnormalities are often not found. This suggests that the cause of dizziness lies in functional imbalance rather than structural body problems.
In particular, problems in the autonomic nervous system are difficult to appear as clear lesions on tests. The autonomic nervous system regulates all organ functions in our body. When this function becomes unstable, problems can occur in blood flow regulation to the brain, or the balance center of the brainstem can become hyperactive, inducing dizziness. A 2014 study by the Neurology Research Team at Keimyung University School of Medicine reported that patients complaining of residual dizziness even after BPPV treatment had a significantly higher incidence of orthostatic hypotension (40 percent vs 3 percent, p<0.05), concluding that it is related to sympathetic autonomic dysfunction. As such, subtle imbalances of the autonomic nervous system are hidden causes of dizziness that cannot be captured by general tests.
What is the relationship between autonomic imbalance and dizziness?
The autonomic nervous system is like the engine of our body. The sympathetic nerve acts like an accelerator, tensioning and activating the body, while the parasympathetic nerve acts like a brake, relaxing and stabilizing the body. Only when these two nerves achieve balance can our body maintain optimal condition. However, due to chronic stress, overwork, and irregular lifestyle habits, when the balance of the autonomic nervous system breaks down, various symptoms appear as if the engine is overheating or malfunctioning.
In particular, in relation to dizziness, autonomic imbalance affects in the following ways. Orthostatic dizziness due to blood pressure regulation abnormalities, brain function decline due to excessive secretion of stress hormones, and hyper-reactive responses of balance control centers including the brainstem are representative. If the brain cannot rest and is always in a tense state, it easily feels dizziness even with minute stimuli. This instability of the autonomic nervous system hinders the brain from properly integrating and processing external information, resulting in worsening dizziness.
How does a Korean medicine clinic diagnose and treat dizziness?
Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch views dizziness not just as a symptom, but finds and treats the root cause hidden behind the symptom. Especially for those who are diagnosed as having no abnormalities in general tests but continuously suffer from dizziness, we focus on the imbalance of the autonomic nervous system.
In Korean medicine, the cause of dizziness (hyeonhun) is found in various organ function disharmonies and blood circulation disorders such as Qi and Blood deficiency, liver yang hyperactivity, phlegm and fluid retention, and kidney deficiency. This is closely connected to the imbalance of the autonomic nervous system. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic goes through meticulous diagnostic processes tailored to each patient's constitution and symptoms. Along with Korean medical diagnoses such as pulse diagnosis, abdominal diagnosis, and tongue diagnosis, we objectively grasp the activity and balance state of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves through autonomic balance tests (HRV tests) to more clearly analyze the cause of dizziness. These diagnostic results serve as an important foundation for Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic's 'autonomic stabilization' treatment.
According to a clinical study published in Pharmaceuticals (Basel) in 2022 by the Daejeon University College of Korean Medicine research team, administering the herbal medicine 'Jaeumgeonbi-Tang' for 4 weeks to 50 chronic subjective dizziness (CSD) patients significantly normalized stress hormone (cortisol, adrenaline, serotonin) levels and improved oxidative stress indicators. The researchers concluded that Jaeumgeonbi-Tang has beneficial effects on improving the redox state and maintaining mental stress hormone balance in dizziness patients. Based on these scientific Korean medical treatment principles, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic resolves the root cause of dizziness—autonomic imbalance—and creates an environment where the brain can comfortably rest.
Autonomic stabilization pulls out the root of dizziness
Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic focuses on 'autonomic stabilization' treatment to correct autonomic imbalance, one of the main causes of dizziness. This is not simply suppressing symptoms, but a process of calming overheated sympathetic nerves and restoring lowered parasympathetic nerve functions so that the body can restore balance on its own. Lowering the heat of the brain and nervous system and creating an environment where the brain can rest—in Korean medicine, this is called Suseunghwagang (water up, fire down)—is the core of dizziness treatment.
Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic's autonomic stabilization treatment proceeds in the following ways:
- Individual customized herbal medicine: Prescribed considering each patient's constitution, autonomic state, and accompanying symptoms (insomnia, headache, indigestion), herbal medicine reduces brain and nervous system overload, stabilizes stress responses, and improves systemic Qi and Blood circulation to prevent dizziness recurrence.
- Acupuncture and pharmacopuncture therapy: Relaxes tense muscles around the cervical spine, improves blood flow to the brain, and stimulates acupoints important for autonomic control to help recover nervous system balance. In particular, pharmacopuncture effective for stabilizing brain function can be expected to provide fast relief for dizziness.
- Chuna manual therapy: Corrects structural problems around the neck to improve cervical dizziness and smooths the flow of autonomic nerves passing through the spine, contributing to systemic balance recovery.
Through these integrated Korean medicine treatments, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch helps patients suffering from dizziness regain comfortable and active daily lives. Especially for those looking for a Songdo dizziness Korean medicine clinic, we provide professional treatment based on long clinical experience along with regional accessibility.
Dizziness self-diagnosis checklist: Could it be me too?
Check how many of the following items apply to you:
- Getting up suddenly makes everything go dark and dizzy.
- Stress or fatigue makes dizziness worse.
- Dizziness is frequently accompanied by headaches or back of the neck stiffness.
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or hearing abnormalities seem present.
- Difficulty sleeping or deep sleeping is hard.
- Poor digestion, feeling bloated or nauseous frequently.
- Frequent heart palpitations or stuffiness in the chest.
- Lots of worry or anxiety, and sensitive nerves.
- Heavy body and chronic fatigue without special reason.
Judgment criteria:
- 3 items or less: Temporary fatigue or condition decline possibility. Sufficient rest and stress management needed.
- 4 to 6 items: Dizziness due to autonomic imbalance is suspected. Consider precise diagnosis and complex Korean medicine treatment at Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic.
- 7 items or more: High possibility of dizziness due to chronic autonomic ataxia. Immediate hospital visit and professional treatment recommended. Get detailed consultation at Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon.
Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic's dizziness treatment process
Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch goes through systematic processes for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of patients visiting for dizziness.
- Precise diagnosis and consultation: In-depth interview on symptom onset time, aspect, accompanying symptoms, and lifestyle habits. Objectively grasp current body condition through Korean medical diagnoses like pulse, abdominal, and tongue diagnosis along with autonomic balance testing (HRV).
- Establishment of individual customized treatment plan: Establish the most suitable treatment plan based on diagnosis results. Focus on solving the root cause of dizziness by combining various Korean medicine treatments such as autonomic stabilization herbal medicine, acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and Chuna therapy.
- Intensive treatment and progress observation: Consistently treat during the decided treatment period, check symptom changes, and adjust treatment plans as needed to bring out optimal results.
- Lifestyle management and recurrence prevention education: Educate on correct lifestyle habits, stress management methods, and diet in parallel with treatment to prevent dizziness recurrence and help maintain long-term health.
FAQ
Q. How long should dizziness be treated? A. Treatment duration for dizziness varies greatly depending on the cause, symptom severity, and patient constitution. Acute dizziness can improve in a relatively short period, but chronic dizziness related to autonomic imbalance may require consistent treatment for 3 months or more.
Q. Can BPPV or Meniere's disease be treated with Korean medicine? A. Yes, inner ear dizziness such as BPPV or Meniere's disease can also be helped with Korean medicine treatment for symptom alleviation and recurrence prevention. Herbal medicine contributes to improving inner ear blood circulation and reducing inflammation, and acupuncture is effective in reducing accompanying symptoms like nausea and vomiting.
Q. Can dizziness, headaches, and insomnia be treated together? A. Of course. Dizziness, headaches, and insomnia are often deeply connected with autonomic imbalance and frequently appear together. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic's autonomic stabilization treatment approaches the root cause of all these symptoms, effectively improving multiple symptoms simultaneously.
Q. Can dizziness heal naturally? A. Mild dizziness due to temporary fatigue or stress can naturally improve with sufficient rest. However, if dizziness repeats or causes severe discomfort, leaving it can lead to chronic conditions or other neurological problems, so it is important to receive diagnosis and treatment from an expert.
Dizziness is not a problem that can be solved by enduring it. You no longer need to turn away from the body's signals sent for a long time. If you approach in the right direction, your body reacts faster than you think. Bring the symptoms you are experiencing as they are. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic will find the cause together.
Where life blooms. Herbal medicine is Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check symptoms similar to yours first through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic website!
Medical Supervision | Brain & Autonomic Treatment Standard Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Min Ji-hong (Dizziness Column)