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What is Dizziness? | Causes and Treatment | Medanta Hospital

What is Dizziness? | Causes and Treatment | Medanta Hospital

What is dizziness?

 

The symptoms of vertigo may be triggered by several things, including a lack of food, sleep, low blood sugar, or even just plain old stress and worry. Many neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy, may manifest as dizziness.

 

Disturbances in the vestibular system, which regulates balance, are linked to vertigo (the sense of movement or the movement of your surroundings around you). Diseases and infections of the ear, such as Ménière's syndrome, may have a negative impact on your sense of balance and your gait because of the system's connection to your ears. The inner ear is affected by benign positional vertigo, which suddenly occurs when the head is tilted. Labyrinthitis is an inner ear infection that often accompanies a cold or the flu.

 

Dizziness may be a symptom of a more severe medical condition, such as a heart attack, stroke, or shock, all needing prompt medical care because of their potential for fatal outcomes.

 

Causes:

 

There are two primary types of dizziness, lightheadedness, and vertigo. Multiple factors, such as inner ear dysfunction, illness, and drug side effects, might contribute to this symptom. In rare cases, it may be the root cause of an accident or illness.

 

Vertigo due to cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure:

 

Heart shock

The heart's pace is either too rapid or too slow, a condition known medically as arrhythmia.

 

Cardiomyopathy, in which heart muscle becomes weak due to age, illness, or deterioration; poisons or vertigo medication reduce the heart's ability to contract quickly or strongly.

 

Insanely high blood pressure

 

Causes of low blood pressure range from medical conditions to inadequate medication responses to hemorrhagic illnesses to anemia.

 

Diseases and disorders of the brain that lead to dizziness:

 

  • Migraine, Headache, Tumor, Stroke
  • Causes of fainting include a lack of oxygenated blood to the brain (syncope or vasovagal syncope)
  • Confusion or dementia

 

Feeling lightheaded because of medicine:

 

Dizziness is listed as a possible adverse effect of almost all medications. However, some are more likely to cause it.

 

Medication for hypertension, diuretics, sleep aids, hypnotics, antidepressants, pain medications, and a few antibiotics

 

Weakness due to metabolic issues:

 

  • Hypoxia
  • Insufficiency of blood sugar (hypoglycemia, including a reaction to insulin)
  • Dehydration
  • Old age vertigo:
  • Frailty, lack of exercise capacity, and deconditioning
  • Blood circulation's capacity to quickly adjust to an upright posture is diminished (orthostatic hypotension)
  • Congestive heart failure (arteriosclerosis)
  • Neuropathy (a progressive dysfunction of the nerves caused by different diseases, especially diabetes)
  • Menopause
  • Subpar visual acuity and motor skills
  • Dementia
  • Trouble hearing or constant ringing
  • Mental health-related dizziness
  • Anxiety, depression, and panic disorders
  • Breathing too quickly or deeply, which causes hyperventilation, is common in people with anxiety or metabolic abnormalities.

 

The term "somatization" refers to how a person with a mental disorder (such as anxiety or depression) experiences those conditions in their physical body. The patient may deny having any mental health issues and instead focus on their physical symptoms.

 

Lightheadedness is a common side effect of the tension and anxiety that both anxiety and stress may bring.

 

When dizziness is the result of anything other than a health problem:

 

  • Hemorrhage or bleeding within the body
  • Anemia
  • Inability to fight off infections when standing due to prolonged bed rest caused by weakness
  • Diseases of the endocrine system, including the thyroid, adrenal glands, and pituitary gland, may disrupt the body's ability to regulate its water and salt levels, as well as other bodily processes.
  • An allergic reaction may bring symptoms such as wheezing and low blood pressure, as well as sinusitis and its associated dizziness.
  • Drop in blood pressure after a meal

 

Diagnosis:

 

Consult a physician if you have been experiencing and are not getting vertigo treatment. It's a good idea to write down everything that's bothering you due to your dizziness before going to the doctor. An ENT is a doctor who specializes in treating problems with the ears, nose, and throat. Remember to take notes before agreeing to an appointment.

 

Get ready to provide a detailed account of your vertigo.

 

Talk about the times you felt dizzy or how your health was. You should also include any medications you were taking.

 

Try opening up about something private that has impacted your life.

 

If dizziness is a problem for you, consider writing down all the drugs you've been prescribed by doctors in the past and taking them as directed.

 

If you take care of yourself, avoid stressful situations, eat well, and get enough sleep, dizziness should go away. Sit down and rest if dizziness makes you feel like fainting.

 

Treatment:

 

Low blood pressure, or hypotension, is a common cause of dizziness that may be treated by restoring a healthy blood pressure level. Treating low blood sugar may help alleviate dizziness.

 

If you feel dizzy, just relax and lay down. If you lay still and close your eyes, you may have the impression that you're in a dark room and may even feel vertigo.

 

If you suffer from dizziness often, it's best not to operate a motor vehicle or any dangerous apparatus.

 

Tobacco and alcohol should be avoided.

 

If you suffer from dizziness, try increasing your fluid intake and readjusting your diet.

 

Talk to your doctor before taking any new medications, and don't overdo it.

 

If dehydration is at blame, resting in an excellent spot and chugging plenty of water might help.

 

If you're feeling dizzy, don't try to walk or run.

 

In what circumstances should medical attention be sought?

 

Dizziness might indicate a more severe medical problem when accompanied by other symptoms.

 

  • See double image
  • Vomiting
  • Fever
  • Numbness
  • Challenges in coordinating or executing leg and arm movements
  • Headache
  • Discomfort in the chest
  • Defeat of Consciousness

 

Safe and Effective Home dizziness treatments:

 

Repeated episodes of dizziness? Try these solutions.

 

Remember that you might quickly lose base and suffer severe injuries if you fall.

 

Keep your movements slow and steady, and use a cane if needed.

 

Eliminating potential trip hazards like loose rugs and electrical wires may help prevent falls in the house. Install non-slip mats in the bathroom's shower and bathtub. It's essential to have enough illumination.

 

If you feel dizzy, sit or lay down right away. If you're experiencing severe vertigo, lie down in a dark environment with your eyes closed.

 

If you regularly feel dizzy without notice, you shouldn't operate a vehicle or heavy equipment.

 

It would help if you avoided things like nicotine, coffee, salt, and alcohol. Symptoms may become more severe with prolonged use of these drugs.

 

Get enough rest and water, eat well, and manage your stress levels.

 

If you have dizziness while taking a medicine, you should discuss the possibility of discontinuing or reducing your dosage with your doctor.

 

Take an antihistamine such as meclizine or dimenhydrinate (available without a prescription) if you also feel sick to your stomach, in addition to experiencing dizziness. This is a sleep-inducing substance. Antihistamines that don't cause drowsiness are less effective. Rest in a cool place and drink some water or a sports drink if you feel dizzy from overheating or dehydration.

Dr. Avinash Kumar Singh
Cardiac Care
Meet The Doctor
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