FEELING DIZZY?

Many people will feel dizzy from time to time, with most dizziness not being dangerous.  But feeling dizzy is uncomfortable.  It can put you at risk of falling, and it may be your body’s way of telling you something more serious is happening.  Describe your dizziness in the best way you can.  Then think about the timing, triggers, and other symptoms you have.  It is the first step in allowing you and your healthcare provider to determine the cause and best treatment for your dizziness.   

FEELING DIZZY?
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

​Dizziness is a familiar sensation, with as many as 1 in 5 adults experiencing it yearly.  Most of the time, dizziness goes away without specific treatment.  But, if your dizziness does not improve or you have other health conditions, it could be a sign that something else is happening.
 
Kinds of dizziness
It is common to feel dizzy occasionally, which happens for various reasons.  But even though you have felt dizzy at some point, it could be hard to describe precisely how you feel.  Dizziness is a compound word that people use to refer to various feelings and sensations.  But those symptoms can have many different causes. 
In general, there are four causes of dizziness:

1. Vertigo:  A feeling of movement or spinning, whereas some people describe this sensation as spinning in circles.  You can also have nausea or notice changes in your vision or hearing.
2. Disequilibrium:  This is an off-balance feeling like you are tilting or unable to move correctly.
3. Presyncope:  The medical term for fainting is syncope.  So, presyncope is the feeling you have before passing out.
4. Lightheadedness:  The most challenging condition to describe, where some say they feel disconnected, giddy, woozy, or drifting.

More than 60% of people report a feeling of more than one type of dizziness.  So, other issues should be considered if these types are a starting point.  It would be most helpful to understand what brings on dizziness, the timing of it, health conditions, and any medications taken.  These details will go a long way in understanding why you feel dizzy.
 
Usual causes of dizziness
Just as you might feel different kinds of dizziness, there can be various causes for the same symptoms.  So, you cannot rely on the type of dizziness to give a conclusive answer to the reason.  But some common causes and patterns help to start.
 
Vertigo
Vertigo usually happens because something is inflamed or off-balance in the inner part of the ear.  Sometimes that spinning sensation happens with certain kinds of migraine headaches.  A tumor, injury, or stroke in some brain parts can cause it, but they are less common causes.  Usually, vertigo happens because of conditions like:

• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo:  This is the most common cause of vertigo.  You feel dizzy when you are in a particular position or move your head a particular way.
• Labyrinthitis:  If the fluid or a nerve in your inner ear is inflamed, it could cause temporary changes in your hearing, ringing in the ears, or vertigo.
• Meniere’s disease:  With symptoms similar to labyrinthitis, individuals with Meniere’s disease have frequent episodes and typically some hearing loss.
• Motion sickness:  Some individuals have vertigo and nausea in moving cars, planes, boats, and amusement park rides.
• Noncancerous tumors of the inner ear:  These can include acoustic neuromas and cholesteatomas but are less frequent triggers.

 
Disequilibrium
An off-balance feeling often means something is happening in the nerves or brain.  It includes information from your senses, especially vision, and touch.  Causes can include:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS):  It can affect the function of many nerves, so it is not uncommon for people to have trouble with balance.
• Parkinson’s disease:  Disequilibrium is most common in people with this condition.
• Peripheral neuropathy:  Various health conditions will affect how your nerves work.  Problems with specific nerves may affect movement, vision, and blood pressure or make you feel unbalanced.
• Strokes or transient ischemic attacks (TIA):  Should these happen in particular brain parts, they can cause unsteadiness and dizziness.
• Vision problems:  May affect your sense of balance.

 
Presyncope
There are several common reasons to have a vasovagal episode.  It is when a sudden change in blood pressure causes you to faint (syncope) or almost faint (presyncope).  It could happen if you are dehydrated, pregnant, sick, or unexpectedly stressed out.
But there are several more severe causes of presyncope and syncope, such as:

• Bleeding:  Active bleeding (such as that from the uterus or gastrointestinal tract) and a low blood count (anemia) could lead to dizziness and fainting.
• Heart disease:  This can include problems with heart rhythm, valves, or blood vessels.
• Hypoglycemia:  When the blood sugar drops too low, especially for people with diabetes, it causes presyncope or syncope.
• Orthostatic hypotension:  A significant change in blood pressure when you move from lying down to standing up.  Various health conditions or medications can cause it.

 
Lightheadedness
Occasionally dizziness is hard to explain, especially when you feel lightheaded or disconnected from your body.  Some people state this as feeling woozy or just not quite right.
Some other causes of dizziness can include:

• Alcohol or other substances
• Anemia or low blood count, especially if it is mild or happens slowly
• Changes in metabolism, along with some health conditions or vitamin deficiencies
• Dehydration
• Flu, cold, or allergies
• Hyperventilation, stress, and anxiety

 
What to do if you feel dizzy?
If you are feeling dizzy or unsteady on your feet, find somewhere safe to sit or lay down.  Avoid abrupt movements and position shifts.  Falls are risky, particularly for older adults and people doing high-risk work or recreational activities.
Once you are in a safe place, there are several things you can do:

• Get help if your symptoms are severe, or you do not think you can move safely.  It is essential to get help if you have health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or a high risk of bleeding.
• Check your blood pressure or blood sugar if you have a history of health conditions that put you at risk for high or low readings.
• Drink water or eat food if you are dehydrated or hungry.
• Pay attention to the timing, triggers, and severity of your dizziness.  It might be hard to describe it in specific terms, but thinking about the categories of dizziness is a place to start.

 
When to speak to a healthcare provider about dizziness
Some symptoms go along with dizziness that needs medical attention immediately.  Get help if you are experiencing dizziness along with the following:

• A recent head injury
• Chest pain or irregular heartbeats
• Falls or stumbling
• High fever
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizures
• Severe headache or neck pain
• Severe vomiting or diarrhea
• Shortness of breath
• Trouble speaking, seeing, or moving your body

At other times, your dizziness may not be severe, and you may not have any warning signs.  But talking to your healthcare provider about your symptoms is still a good idea.  It is especially true if:

• It is a new kind of dizziness for you
• The dizziness is getting worse or is not improving
• You are at high risk of injury from falls due to age, health conditions, occupation, or hobbies
• You cannot hear as well or have ringing in your ears
• You have health conditions that may need additional attention
• You started a new medication