Dizziness - causes and what to do with dizziness

general practitioner

Why do I feel dizzy and what can I do about it?

Dizziness is the sensation of losing your balance. During an attack, you may feel that you are spinning or that the world around you is vibrating in an unusual way. Systemic vertigo is caused by damage to the vestibular analyzer, the inner ear responsible for sensing body position. Non-systemic vertigo – psychogenic – is subjective, usually people describe different sensations, but not the classic rotation. For example, fog in front of the eyes, instability, fear of falling and others.

Dizziness can be a symptom of many conditions.

Table of Contents

True vertigo

Caused by damage to the receptors in the inner ear that perceive and transmit information to the brain about the position and movement of the head and body in space.

True vertigo is manifested by illusion of movement of own body or surrounding objects, may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, increased sweating, a sense of fear, loss of balance, a sense of blurred vision due to rhythmic oscillation of the eyes.

Migraine

In vestibular migraine, the classic symptoms – severe headache, sensitivity to light and noise, tinnitus, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting – are combined with dizziness. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have had episodes of dizziness.

Stress

The release of adrenaline during stress can cause blood vessels to constrict. Combined with a rapid heartbeat, blood is pumped less efficiently, leading to dizziness and even pre-fainting.

Low blood pressure

Dizziness is one of the symptoms of hypotension. This is due to insufficient blood supply to the brain. Especially dizzy when a person stands, since the blood flow to the brain in this position is less.

About the products that help to increase blood pressure, read in the article at the link.

Orthostatic collapse

When a sudden change in body position – lifting or sitting – the blood does not have time to get to the brain in sufficient volume, because of which the feeling may change dramatically. Darkening of the eyes, dizziness and, in some cases, fainting may occur.

Meniere’s syndrome

The classic triad of symptoms – nausea, impaired hearing in one ear, tinnitus (low-frequency “noise” in the ear) or a feeling of a stuffy ear – combined with repeated attacks of vertigo is called Meniere’s syndrome. Attacks last for several hours, during which the person is forced to stay in bed, pass on their own.

Diseases of the inner ear

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPD) is a complicated name that means literally tiny calcium particles shift from their normal location and accumulate in the inner ear. During this time, the inner ear sends signals to the brain about head and body movements to help maintain balance. The condition can occur for an unknown reason and may be age-related.

Age-related changes

Sometimes dizziness can be caused by circulation problems caused by atherosclerosis and slower signal processing in the inner ear. But don’t take it lightly, writing it all off as age – there may be a serious illness hiding under the mask of dizziness.

And read about six signs of aging in the material at the link.

Alcohol poisoning

Against the background of alcohol poisoning violates the vestibular apparatus and auditory nerve. Deteriorates the conduction of nerve impulses in the brain, because of which a person experiences problems with coordination and dizziness.

What to do to relieve dizziness

To relieve the symptoms of dizziness when they occur and reduce the frequency of their occurrence, you can:

lie still in a quiet, dark room to reduce the sensation of space spinning around you;
watch your head movements, move it gently and slowly;
when you feel dizzy, try to find a place to sit down immediately;
turn on the light if you get up at night;
sleep with your head slightly elevated on two or more pillows;
get out of bed slowly or sit for a while before getting up;
try to relax – anxiety can make dizziness worse.

Not recommended:

bending over to pick things up; instead, squat down without putting your head down;
raising your head, such as reaching up to a high shelf or looking at an object from above.

If you feel dizzy all the time, don’t delay and see your doctor as soon as possible. He or she will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment.