Dizziness can be the symptoms of many diseases, very diverse and with very different degrees of severity, such as the onset of stroke, neurological disorders, inner ear problems or the onset of Menière's disease, an unrecognized disease that causes hearing loss. Doctor Jimmy Mohamed provided answers on Friday in the program "Sans Rendez-vous".

In the program

Sans Rendez-vous

, a listener from Europe 1 wondered Friday about the cause of the dizziness she feels when she is lying down.

"I often feel dizzy when I am lying in my bed and I have the impression that everything revolves around me", explains Mélanie, who wonders if she should consult a practitioner.

In Sans Appointment, doctor Jimmy Mohamed explained the different possible diagnoses.

>> Find all of Sans rendez-vous every day from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Europe 1 as well as in replay and podcast here

Jimmy Mohamed's response

We must first remember what a vertigo is and distinguish it from the vertiginous sensation, where it rocks, as if we were on a boat. True vertigo is like being on a merry-go-round: the room revolves around you. In these cases, there are three red flags or warning signs that should get you checked out.

The first is headaches.

Dizziness and headaches are synonymous with urgency.

There is a risk of stroke or bleeding artery.

The second red flag is neck pain, which is a sore neck.

This may indicate a suspicion of dissection of the carotid artery so it is necessary to consult.

The third red flag is neurological signs.

If, in addition to dizziness, you notice that you see a little less well than usual, that you have an arm that is not working as well or that you are staggering, you must go to the emergency room.

Is it due to an inner ear problem?

But when we talk about vertigo when lying down, we can suspect an inner ear problem, often due to small crystals in the ear.

We must also talk about Menière's disease, which can also be the cause of regular vertigo.

Menière's disease typically occurs.

At first, it manifests as ringing in the ears and tinnitus.

Subsequently, there is a drop in hearing and then dizziness.

The crises will repeat themselves, with a rather particular evolution: as the disease progresses, the attacks will be less and less intense, but the hearing loss will be more and more important.

It is the ENT which makes it possible to make the diagnosis.

Little is known about this disease, so there are few treatments. Among the possibilities: taking diuretics, to eliminate excess water. There are also some diets to limit salt intake or stimulants like caffeine. And then there are surgical treatments, because it's actually a pressure problem in the inner ear.