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When your head suddenly spins, you worry if something is wrong with your body. Many people complain, "I don't know if I'm dizzy because of indigestion or if it's BPPV." It's easy to think it's acute indigestion when you feel nauseous, have cold sweats, and dizziness, but if it doesn't get better with rest or if the world spins every time you turn your head, you suspect BPPV. However, if both situations show no special abnormalities on examination or only temporary effects with Western medicine, you need to listen to deeper signals of your body. Dalimchae Oriental Medicine Clinic finds and resolves the real cause of dizziness.

💡 [Key Answer] The 3 most common causes of dizziness: ① Autonomic Nervous System Imbalance: Occurs when the ability of the brain and body to regulate decreases due to stress, overwork, etc. ② Brain Function Decline and Blood Circulation Issues: Triggered by lack of blood flow to the brain, cumulative fatigue in the brainstem, micro-inflammation, etc. ③ Gastrointestinal Dysfunction: Digestive issues causing energy/blood circulation disorders or 'Dam-eum' (phlegm-rheum) can trigger dizziness. Dalimchae Clinic resolves the root cause of dizziness through Autonomic Stabilization treatment.

When the Head Spins and the Stomach Churns: Distinguishing Between Indigestion and BPPV, Finding Hidden Causes of Dizziness

Dizziness can manifest in various forms, from a simple 'dizzy' feeling to 'vertigo' where surroundings spin, and 'ataxia' where it's hard to keep balance. Many people think they have 'indigestion' when accompanied by nausea and cold sweats, but BPPV often accompanies vomiting and nausea as well, making it easy to confuse.

Dizziness from indigestion is mainly related to decreased gastrointestinal function. When stomach motility drops and waste products (called 'Dam-eum' in Oriental medicine) accumulate, they interfere with blood circulation and prevent smooth supply of energy and blood to the brain, causing dizziness. On the other hand, BPPV occurs when otoliths in the inner ear's balance organ deviate from their place, characterized by severe rotational vertigo during specific posture changes.

Many patients express frustration because they receive a "normal" diagnosis even after various tests at ENT or neurology clinics, or symptoms do not improve with temporary medication. This is because the cause of dizziness is deeply linked to the imbalance of the autonomic nervous system, our body's overall regulatory function, not just structural problems of the ear or brain.

Chronic fatigue factors of modern people such as stress, overwork, and lack of sleep break the balance of the autonomic nervous system and excessively stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. This makes blood flow to the brain unstable and causes the brainstem to accumulate fatigue, leading to feelings of a foggy and spinning head or balance sense abnormalities. Since these autonomic abnormalities are not clearly revealed on tests, they easily lead to chronic dizziness where the fundamental cause is hard to find. Dalimchae Clinic in Incheon analyzes and treats these complex causes from various angles.

Oriental medicine does not view dizziness simply as a head problem but comprehensively looks at the functional decline of the five organs and six viscera, energy/blood circulation disorders, and factors that break the balance of the autonomic nervous system. Especially when feeling dizzy due to indigestion, waste products like 'Dam-eum' (phlegm) or 'Sik-jeok' (food stagnation) are seen as causes. These wastes interfere with blood circulation and hinder the supply of energy and blood to the brain and whole body, causing dizziness, headaches, and fatigue.

Also, if BPPV recurs frequently or responds slowly to Western treatment, it may mean that the overall body functions (e.g., immunity, blood circulation, intestinal function) that keep the otolith organs healthy are weakened, rather than just the displacement of otoliths itself. In this case, Dalimchae Clinic focuses on creating an environment where otoliths can be stably maintained by correcting the collapsed body balance.

When the balance of the brain and autonomic nervous system collapses, the body constantly turns on warning lights. Especially, dizziness is a representative signal that appears when the brain cannot rest and is in an overload state. When the sympathetic nervous system is excessively stimulated due to stress, overwork, and irregular lifestyle habits, blood flow to the brain becomes unstable and brainstem fatigue accumulates, causing symptoms of the head spinning. Oriental medicine views this state as an imbalance of 'Suseung-hwagang' (coolness ascending and heat descending). That is, the head should be cool and the lower abdomen warm, but due to stress, heat clusters in the head and the heart overheats.

Dalimchae's Autonomic Stabilization treatment helps the brain sufficiently rest and recover by correcting these imbalances. It restores the balance of the distorted autonomic nervous system, relieves brain fatigue, and improves digestive function to remove the root cause of dizziness. Herbal medicine prescribed according to individual constitution and symptoms promotes energy/blood circulation, improves blood flow to the brain, and relaxes the tense nervous system. Acupuncture and pharmacopuncture treatments stabilize sensitive nerves and treat symptoms like headaches, tinnitus, and insomnia that accompany dizziness, restoring the harmony of the whole body.

Dizziness is not a problem that can be solved by enduring. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. When approached in the right direction, the body responds faster than you think. Bring the symptoms you are experiencing as they are. We will find the cause together at Dalimchae Clinic Incheon.