Mary-Ellen Siegel

When you turn your head suddenly, do you feel sick to your stomach? Do you often become dizzy when you get up too quickly from a chair? Have you ever felt a sense of motion when you're standing still? You're not alone. Whether it's fainting, imbalance, or spinning sensations, these disorders affect 76 million Americans at some time in their lives. Feeling Dizzy explains what can go wrong, what physicians can do to diagnose and treat problems, what you can do to help yourself, and how you can finally regain your sense of balance. The first complete book on the subject written from the general reader, Feeling Dizzy: Identifies and explains the three types of dizziness: vertigo, imbalance, and fainting. Describes treatment options, from medication or surgery to therapy and rehabilitation. Outlines self-help options, including relaxation techniques, biofeedback, and exercise.

At some point in their lives, up to 20 percent of the population will be affected by shingles, which is officially known as herpes zoster and is caused by the varicella-zoster virus—the same virus that causes chickenpox. It attacks adults who had chickenpox as children but whose immune system has weakened due to aging, illness, drugs, radiation therapy, or physical or emotional stress. For many people shingles is a temporary condition, which starts at a nerve root and moves to the skin, causing a burning pain, rash, and blisters, all subsiding within a few weeks. But almost one-third of all cases are further afflicted with a painful complication called post-herpetic neuralgia, or PHN, which can continue for months or even years. Other potential complications of shingles include inflammation of the eye, which could lead to loss of vision. This book shows the reader how early recognition of symptoms, along with the use of the newest antiviral drugs, can hasten recovery from shingles and its complications. Detailing causes, symptoms, treatments, and ways of finding the best care for shingles and PHN, Shingles also discusses recent developments in preventing shingles through the use of a varicella vaccine.