Dizziness (Dizzy, Lightheadedness) Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Information on MedicineNet.com

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Dizziness
(Dizzy)

Medical Author: Benjamin C. Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM
Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Featured dizziness patient discussions on diagnosis of your dizziness

"I have a dizzy spell about two to three times a week. It usually occurs at work in the mornings and always between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. I log onto my computer and check emails, etc., and all of a sudden, my vision becomes blurred, and I start to feel dizzy and off balance. I get real hot and have to fan myself. It lasts for about five minutes and then I get cold. Once this passes, I am not bothered with it for the remainder of the day. I have had my heart checked out, and an EKG performed. An echocardiogram and stress test showed my heart is perfectly normal, my doctor says."

"No nausea or vomiting, I just sit here and feel dizzy. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night feeling dizzy. It comes and goes all throughout my day. As a matter of fact I feel dizzy right now."

"I'm a 59-year old female who has been experiencing dizziness, nausea, and vomiting at random times. If I can lie down, the dizziness subsides, but the nausea and vomiting may last for a couple of more hours. I also feel shaky and disoriented. Once the symptoms end, I usually fall into a very deep sleep lasting about four hours and when I wake up, I am ravenous. I always want food-food, that is, steak, hamburgers, chicken and absolutely no sugar. Sugar makes the symptoms worse"

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Patient Discussions are not a substitute for professional medical advice, or treatment.
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Introduction to dizziness (feeling dizzy)

Dizziness is one of the most common symptoms that will prompt an individual to visit a doctor. The term dizzy (or dizziness) can be difficult to define because it can mean different things to different people. Does feeling dizzy refer to lightheadedness, the feeling of weakness and almost passing out, or does it refer to vertigo (in which the room or the person seems to spin)?

Dizziness (lightheadedness) is often caused by a decrease in blood supply to the brain, while vertigo is caused by disturbances of the inner ear and the balance centers of the brain.

It is necessary for patients and health care practitioners to work together to understand the specific symptoms a patient is experiencing in order to make the correct diagnosis and treatment.

What are some common causes of dizziness?

While classifying dizziness into physiologic categories may help understand how the body works, sometimes it is worthwhile to review common reasons why people might complain of dizziness.

Low blood pressure

Dizziness, lightheadedness, and the feeling of passing out is a common complaint in patients who have low blood pressure. When the blood pressure is too low, not enough oxygen-rich blood is being delivered to the brain, and its function can be affected.

In addition to feeling dizzy, associated symptoms may include:

Low blood pressure can be the result of an underlying problem. Some common reasons for low blood pressure include the following:

Anemia (decreased red blood cell count)
Bleeding
Dehydration (loss of water in the body) often occurs with infections that cause vomiting and diarrhea. Fever also can cause a significant amount of water loss due to increased metabolic rate and excessive sweating as the body tries to cool itself.
Heat-related illnesses associated with dehydration such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke (a medical emergency).
Side effects of certain medications used to control blood pressure and heart rate. Examples include:
- beta blockers [propranolol (Inderal, Inderal LA), atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol, (Lopressor, Toprol XL)], which block adrenalin receptors in the heart and may limit the heart rate from increasing in response to changes in position.
- Nitroglycerin and isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur Ismo, Monoket), a long acting nitroglycerin medication not only dilate blood vessels in the heart, but may also cause other blood vessels in the body to dilate and be unable to respond to the body's needs.
- Diuretics that can cause dehydration
- ACE inhibitors that slow the heart rate, and
- medications for erectile dysfunction that can dilate blood vessels.
Alcohol use
Pregnancy