presyncope?

vertigo vs dizziness

by Tracey_E - 2021-05-13 08:38:55

Vertigo is not the same thing as dizziness. If it's vertigo, it's not cardiac. 

Here's a better description of the two that's better than what I can explain :)

https://www.healthline.com/health/vertigo-vs-dizziness#summary

Presyncope?

by Gemita - 2021-05-13 11:16:58

Sharron, I am sorry you are both still suffering and asking questions about your pacemaker.  Your husband's blood pressure and heart rate seem fairly normal to me and personally I do not feel he is displaying clear signs of presyncope but perhaps he does have signs of intermittent vertigo on head movement.

Presyncope?  I have experienced this a lot and I have also had occasional Vertigo.  My experience was as follows:

Presyncope felt like a sudden drop in blood pressure and I immediately felt my blood draining from my head to my lower extremities.  I either had to sit down or lie down quickly or I would have passed out.  Presyncope is usually over in a flash although symptoms of weakness, disorientation, instability may remain for much longer, particularly in the presence of the condition causing this (arrhythmia in my case).  This always seems to occur (for me at least) during an irregular arrhythmia like AFib (either with a very slow pulse or a very fast one).  It can also occur when I am dehydrated.  Unfortunately as I may have mentioned before, a fall in blood pressure cannot be controlled by our pacemaker, as can a fall in heart rate.

Vertigo is entirely different.  I remember getting Vertigo while lying down in bed and yet my head was still spinning and I felt very nauseous.  If I tried to get up I would be very unstable, everything would be spinning around me and I would find balance difficult.  This could continue 24/7 for a few days and only medication would help treat the condition quickly.

Does that help define both?  The actual Presyncope event is usually over quickly but with lingering symptoms, whereas Vertigo appears more persistent (longer lasting), with sensation of everything spinning around us.  I found the vertigo more difficult to tolerate.

However in your husband's case, he seems to be getting some sudden changes on head movement, in other words the spinning sensation isn't there all of the time.  Something doesn't seem quite right to me and I believe he really needs to be examined Sharron to see what might be going on.

Since your pacemaker clinic does not feel it is pacemaker ?heart related, I would ask your general doctor for advice, describing your husband’s symptoms.  He may have an inner ear problem and need a full assessment.  I also note he has other conditions, including Parkinson's, so I would not wait too long to get an opinion if his symptoms do not improve quickly.  I wish you both well.