I feel dizzy. / My head is spinning.
mi JI-ra la TES-ta — 'gira' from 'girare' (to turn/spin). The 'g' before 'i' is soft.
Describe dizziness or vertigo to a doctor. Can be used in everyday situations too — when feeling faint, after spinning around, or standing up too fast.
'Mi gira la testa' literally means 'my head turns/spins to me'. 'Girare' means 'to turn'. This is an impersonal construction where 'la testa' (the head) is the grammatical subject. Similar: 'mi batte il cuore' (my heart is beating fast), 'mi mancano le forze' (my strength is failing me).
Ho le vertigini.
I have vertigo.
More clinical term — 'vertigini' (plural) is the medical word for vertigo/dizziness
Mi sento svenire.
I feel like I am going to faint.
'Svenire' means to faint — urgent phrase, triggers immediate attention
Ho perso l'equilibrio.
I lost my balance.
Important if dizziness caused a fall
BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) is one of the most common causes of sudden dizziness in Italy, treated with the 'manovra di Epley' (Epley manoeuvre) — a series of head movements. Many Italian GPs and ENT specialists ('otorinolaringoiatri' or 'otoiatri') are trained in this procedure. Recovery is often quick.