What Is Dizziness?

The sensation you get that makes you feel lightheaded, queasy, or unbalanced is known as dizziness. It affects the sense organs, particularly the eyes and ears, and causes fainting in some people. Dizziness is a symptom of a variety of diseases. Vertigo or disequilibrium also causes dizziness, however, both names relate to specific symptoms. Vertigo causes a spinning sensation, as though the room is moving. It can also feel like you’re motion sick or tilting to one side. A breakdown of balance or equilibrium is called disequilibrium. True dizziness is when you feel lightheaded or on the verge of fainting.
Dizziness is rather frequent, and the underlying cause is usually not life-threatening. Dizziness on occasion is nothing to be concerned about, however, if you’re having dizzy spells for no apparent reason or for an extended period of time, you should see a doctor right away.

What Causes Dizziness?

Inner ear disturbances, motion sickness, and side effects of certain drugs are all possible causes of dizziness. An underlying health issue, such as poor circulation, infection, or injury, can sometimes cause it. The way dizziness makes you feel, as well as your triggers, can help you figure out what’s causing it. The duration of your dizziness and any other symptoms you have can also aid in determining the cause.

Vertigo

This is an inner ear problem that causes dizziness. The combined input from many regions of your sensory system determines your sensation of balance. These include the following:

• Your eyes, which assist you in determining where your body is in space and how it is moving.
• Nerves transmit information about your body’s movements and postures to your brain.
  Sensors in the inner ear assist detect gravity and back-and-forth motion.

The sensation that your surroundings are spinning or moving is known as vertigo. Your brain receives messages from the inner ear that aren’t consistent with what your eyes and sensory nerves are getting when you have inner ear diseases. As your brain tries to make sense of the chaos, vertigo develops.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

This condition gives you the sensation of spinning or moving for a brief period of time. A quick shift in head movement, such as turning over in bed, sitting up, or receiving a hit to the head, might set off these episodes. BPPV is the most prevalent cause of vertigo.

Infections

Vestibular neuritis is a viral infection of the vestibular nerve that can produce severe, continuous dizziness.

Meniere’s Disease

The buildup of fluid in your inner ear is a symptom of this condition. Sudden episodes of vertigo can linger for several hours. Hearing loss, ringing in the ears, and the sensation of a blocked ear are all possible symptoms.

Migraine

Even if one isn’t suffering from a severe headache, one who suffers from migraines can also experience vertigo or other forms of dizziness. Vertigo episodes can last anywhere from a few minutes to many hours, and they are accompanied by headaches, as well as sensitivity to light and noise.

Circulation Problems that Cause Dizziness

If your heart isn’t pumping enough blood to your brain, you may feel dizzy, faint, or off-balance. The following are some of the causes:

Circulation Problems

Cardiomyopathy, heart attack, cardiac arrhythmia, and transient ischemic attack are all conditions that can induce dizziness. Inadequate blood supply to the brain or inner ear may result from a decrease in blood volume.

Blood Pressure Decline

The higher the number in your blood pressure reading, the greater the decline in your systolic blood pressure. This might cause lightheadedness or faintness. It can happen if you stand or sit up too rapidly.

Medications

Anti-seizure drugs, antidepressants, sedatives, and tranquilizers, among other treatments, can cause dizziness as a side effect. Blood pressure drugs, in particular, might produce faintness if your blood pressure is too low.

Anxiety Problems

Lightheadedness or a dizzy feeling, sometimes referred to as dizziness, can be a symptom of certain anxiety disorders. Panic attacks and a fear of leaving the house or being in large, open settings are examples (agoraphobia).

Here are some other causes:

• Anemia (low iron)
• Cardiac muscle disease
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Pregnancy
• Dehydration
• Heatstroke
• Excessive exercise
• Nausea caused by movement

Symptoms of Dizziness

People who are dizzy experience a variety of sensations, including:

• a sense of faintness or lightheadedness
• a false sensation of spinning
• unsteadiness
• a loss of equilibrium
• floating or swimming sensation

Walking, standing up, or shifting your head can provoke or exacerbate these sensations. It’s possible that your dizziness is accompanied with nausea, or that it’s so abrupt and intense that you need to sit or lie down. The incident could last seconds or days, and it could happen again.

Risk Factors of Dizziness

Age

Medical problems that induce dizziness, especially a sense of imbalance, are more common in older persons. They’re also more prone to take dizziness-causing drugs.

A Previous Bout of Dizziness

If you’ve had dizziness in the past, you’re more likely to get dizzy again.

How to Treat Dizziness

Without treatment, dizziness often improves. The body normally responds to whatever is causing it within a few weeks. The underlying cause of dizziness is the focus of treatment.

The causes of dizziness are usually controlled with home remedies and medical treatments:

• Inner-ear problems are treated with drugs and balance exercises done at home.
• Maneuvers that help to reduce symptoms can be used to treat BPV. Surgery may be a possibility for patients whose BPV is uncontrollable.
• Medication and lifestyle adjustments, such as learning to recognize and avoid migraine triggers are used to manage migraines.
• Meniere’s disease can be managed with a healthy low-salt diet, regular injections, or ear surgery.
• Anxiety disorders can be treated with medication and anxiety-reduction strategies.
• When dizziness is caused by heavy activity, heat, or dehydration, drinking enough of water can help.

Lifestyle Remedies for Dizziness

If you suffer from frequent attacks of dizziness, try the following tips:

• When you feel dizzy, sit or lie down immediately and relax until the dizziness passes.
• This can help you avoid losing your balance, which can lead to a fall and serious injury.
• Avoid abruptly changing postures or moving.
• Caffeine, alcohol, and smoke should all be avoided. Using these substances can cause or worsen dizziness.
• Avoid driving a car or operating heavy machinery if you experience dizziness without warning on a regular basis.
• If you have nausea and dizziness, take an over-the-counter drug such as meclizine (Antivert) or an antihistamine. While these medications can make you drowsy, don’t take them if you need to be active or productive.
• If your dizziness is caused by overheating or dehydration, take a break and drink some water.
• If necessary, use a cane or walker for stability.
• When walking up or down the stairs, always use the handrails.

When to Seek Medical Help for Dizziness

If you have frequent, abrupt, severe, or persistent and unexplained dizziness or vertigo, you should consult your doctor. Also, if you experience new, severe dizziness or vertigo and any of the following symptoms, get emergency medical help right away:

• Headache that comes on suddenly
• Aching chest
• Breathing difficulty
• Arms and legs become numb or paralyzed
• Fainting
• Double vision
• A heart rate that is too fast or too slow
• Slurred speech or perplexity

Now that you Know…

When the underlying cause of dizziness is addressed, most episodes of dizziness resolve on their own. Dizziness can be an indication of a more serious health concern in rare circumstances. When dizziness causes fainting or a loss of balance, it can lead to serious complications. When a person is driving or operating heavy machinery, this can be extremely dangerous. If you’re starting to feel dizzy, proceed with caution. If you become dizzy while driving, pull over immediately or find a safe location to rest until the dizziness passes.