Dizziness demystified: causes and how to help prevent it

Read time: 5 minutes

Have you ever been dizzy before?

Not like when we were kids, running next to the playground merry-go-round to make it go faster before jumping on … or when we were passengers in the Disneyland tea cups or similar disorienting ride.

This kind of dizziness in adulthood can pop up unexpectedly. Maybe you were driving and glanced over your shoulder to check for traffic when it momentarily hit. Or maybe you stood up (apparently) too quickly and had to sit down again.

Dizziness blends (pardon the pun) the feelings of being lightheaded, unsteady and faint, with the sensation that things around you are spinning. Sometimes mild dizziness goes away quickly. More severe episodes can also involve a headache or throwing up.

Possible causes of dizziness

According to WebMD, your eyes, brain, inner ear and nerves in your feet and spine work together to keep you balanced. When part of that system is off, you can feel dizzy.

There are several causes for it and here are a few:

Vertigo

If you feel like the room is spinning around you, you might be experiencing vertigo. It can be a symptom of several health conditions affecting your inner ear and your vestibular system (which is what helps you sense your body’s position in space, coordinate your movements, and stay upright and balanced).

What you should do:

See your doctor to determine what the underlying health condition could be.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

With this common inner ear disorder, tiny bits of calcium in part of your inner ear get loose and move to places they don’t belong, sending your brain the wrong signals. It can happen due to age or head injury.

You’ll feel it briefly when you tilt or turn your head, and especially when you roll over in bed or sit up. BPPV isn’t serious and usually goes away on its own.

What you should do:

Be patient — it will likely go away on its own. Or, talk to your doctor about treating it with special head exercises to get the pieces of calcium back in place.

Meniere’s disease

Meniere’s disease is characterized by too much fluid in a person’s inner ear. This condition brings on intense periods of vertigo that can last hours. You may feel fullness or pressure in one ear. Other symptoms include ringing in your ears, hearing loss, and nausea. You may feel exhausted after the attack passes.

What you should do:

Talk with your doctor. Although the cause isn’t known and there’s no cure for it, medicine can help control the dizziness.

Inner ear infection

An infection in your inner ear that causes inflammation of the nerves can also cause vertigo. These infections are often caused by a virus.

What you should do:

Visit your doctor to see if medication is available for your particular infection.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)

People with diabetes can get dizzy if the amount of sugar (glucose) in their blood drops too low.

What you should do:

Check your blood sugar level regularly.

Low blood pressure

Dizziness can be a sign of low blood pressure (hypotension). If your blood pressure drops too low, the blood doesn’t circulate and can’t reach your brain. This can cause dizziness and fainting, especially if you move suddenly from a sitting to a standing position.

What you should do:

Work with your doctor to get your blood pressure properly controlled.

Dehydration

Many people don’t drink enough fluids to replace the liquid they lose every day through sweating, urinating, and breathing. If you become very dehydrated, your blood pressure can drop (see above), your brain may not get enough oxygen, and you’ll feel dizzy.

What you should do:

Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water and other unsweetened beverages, and limiting coffee, tea, and soda, which can increase dehydration.

Concussion

If you’ve taken a blow to your head, you’re at risk of a concussion. This can occur through such things as a fall, or a car accident in which your head and neck were badly shaken.

One of the signs of a concussion is dizziness. You may also be experiencing a headache, nausea and vomiting, and confusion.

What you should do:

If you think you might have a concussion, seek emergency care.

Heart problems

Dizziness can sometimes be a sign of heart disease or a more serious sign of a heart attack. If your arteries are blocked because of atherosclerosis, for example, your blood flow slows down and doesn’t circulate through your body as it should. Your heart tries to pump harder and faster to help. This might make you feel a racing heart and dizziness, as well as other symptoms.

What you should do:

If you feel your heart racing, along with dizziness, or are experiencing heart palpitations (fluttering) with dizziness, seek emergency care.

These are just a few of the causes of dizziness. Others include nutrient deficiencies, some medications, stress and anxiety, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

It’s not unusual to feel dizzy once in a while, especially if you’re prone to motion sickness or spent too much time in the sun. But if your dizziness episodes persist or are increasing, it’s time to talk to your doctor.

When to seek emergency care

Occasional dizziness often goes away on its own.

But if you’re dizzy after hitting your head, no matter how lightly, or you have any of these symptoms along with the dizziness, get emergency medical care. (Don’t drive yourself to the hospital because the dizziness could cause you to have an accident.)