Dizziness Overview

Dizziness is a feeling or sensation of spinning or whirling in your head. You may also feel a bit dizzy when you stand up after sitting in one position for a long time. As you stand up quickly, the body takes one or two seconds to make adjustments to constrict the blood vessels and push the blood up to the brain. This is common in pregnant women, diabetics and those who become dehydrated. It can also occur due to weakness and blurred vision. Motion sickness and sea sickness can also cause dizziness in a person.

A wide variety of reasons can cause dizziness. Sometimes there can be no specific diagnosis for the individual but there are some causes which are responsible for dizziness and these should not be excluded. Both high and low blood pressure is a leading cause for the feeling of dizziness. Dizziness can be caused by certain heart diseases like heart attack, arrhythmia and diseased heart muscles. Research has revealed that a bout of dizziness can be due to brain diseases (stroke, tumor or headaches), medications (blood pressure medications, sedatives or antidepressants), and metabolic disorders (hypoxia, low blood sugar or dehydration).

There are many symptoms of dizziness. A person may feel weak, nauseated, confused and near to passing out. The actual symptoms will obviously depend on the cause of the condition. Some of the symptoms are dry mouth, eye pain, facial numbness, headache and tiredness.

Health care practitioners will ask detailed questions to find out the root cause of dizziness. The patient’s description of the dizziness is extremely vital in these cases. The doctor may include tests to rule out any dangerous illness or disease. An ECG may be done after the physical examination of the patient. The medical practitioner may also ask for specialized tests such as CT scan or cardiac stress test to find out the exact causes.

Dizziness is often a sign of something more dangerous and, hence, the symptoms should be discussed with a medical practitioner. If a person has experienced dizziness then certain self-care procedures should be started at home. The patient must drink plenty of water, have regular meals and get adequate rest. The person should stand up slowly from a sitting position as this will help to overcome dizziness. In order to avoid injury, the person must have walkers and tub mats. Rugs and carpets must be properly secured to avoid falls.

Depending on the extent of the dizziness, the doctors will start emergency treatment. IV fluids are immediately administered to treat dehydration. If the blood tests reveal abnormal electrolyte levels, then it must be corrected. Additional medication may be given to control fever.