9 Medical Conditions That Could Be Making You Dizzy

Dizziness is a feeling of being woozy, lightheaded, or unbalanced. This affects our sensory organs, especially the ears and eyes, and thus it can also cause fainting at times. One must know that dizziness is not a disease, rather a symptom of several disorders. There are various medical conditions that can cause dizziness in you. Let us read below to explore more about some of the medical conditions that could be making you dizzy.

Dizziness is common and you must be made aware that usually, its underlying cause is not very serious. Occasionally dizziness is not a condition to be worried about. But still, you should immediately call your doctor if you are experiencing repeated episodes of dizziness for a prolonged period.

Sometimes dizziness might also feel like motion sickness or like you are leaning to one side. True dizziness is the feeling of nearly fainting or lightheadedness. Vertigo might cause a feeling of dizziness. Let us talk about some more medical conditions that could be making you dizzy.

Abnormally low blood pressure or Hypotension can make you feel lightheaded, especially when you are going from a lying down position to a standing or sitting position. Pregnancy, a severe allergic reaction, infection, or certain medication, can result in abnormally low blood pressure.

There is also something known as Orthostatic hypotension. This is a common problem where your blood pressure drops temporarily when you go from a horizontal position to a vertical position, thus triggering dizziness. Say for example, when you quickly get up from a seated or lying position your blood does not travel as quickly up to your head, and you can experience a feeling of “head rush”. To avoid this head rush, take your time while changing positions of your body. You should also consult with your doctor about any possible issues with your medications, circulation, or any other health conditions.

Taking excess caffeine can also make you dizzy. This is because caffeine is usually a stimulating drug. A healthy and recommended dose of this caffeine is 250 mg per day, however, some say up to 400 mg, and this is equal to three 8-ounce cups of coffee. Make sure, caffeinated drinks even act as a diuretic, thus increasing your risk of dehydration.

As per a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition, it has been mentioned that participants who took more than 537 mg of coffee, were at a greater risk of suffering dehydration than those who took about half that amount.⁽¹⁾

One more medical condition that could be making you dizzy is low blood sugar. Patients with diabetes, too often require to check the amount of glucose or sugar in their blood. You can feel dizzy if it drops very low. This can also cause hunger, sweating, shakiness, and confusion. Some patients without diabetes also have the trouble of low blood sugar, however, it is rare. A quick fix for this problem is to drink or eat something with sugar, such as a hard sugary candy or any juice.

One of the most common medical conditions that could be making you dizzy is dehydration. It becomes easier for your heart to pump blood through the blood vessels when you keep your body well hydrated. This helps your muscles to work more efficiently. However, as per the American Heart Association, it has been explained that a lack of proper hydration can result in a quick drop of your blood pressure, which, in turn, can lead to dizziness.⁽²⁾

When a person is dehydrated, there is less fluid in the body and less volume in the body, causing ones blood pressure to quickly drop, as there is less force being exerted. We must inform that a little dehydrated doesn’t lead to dizziness, unless you have low blood pressure.

However, it is always wise to stay well hydrated. Now, how much water should you drink to avoid dehydration? Well, there are some medical conditions like heart disease or diabetes, when you might require to drink more water. Similarly, if you are taking some medications that act as diuretics, resulting the body to lose more fluid, you might require drinking more water. The best way to know if you are dehydrated is to pay attention to your urine’s color. If it is pale, then you are hydrated; however, if your urine is dark, then you need to drink more water and other fluids.

If you have hit your head recently on something, even just a door, and if you suffer a dizziness, then it is a sign that you could have a medical condition called a concussion. Most concussions are generally mild, however, all of them cause some injury to the brain and you must see a doctor to get yourself properly evaluated and treated well. You can take a few hours or even a few weeks to recover from a concussion.

Thiamine or Vitamin B1 is an essential micronutrient that aids in maintaining the CNS or central nervous system. Thiamine deficiencies can cause feelings of weakness and irregular heartbeat, because the nervous system is depressed. Over time, a Vitamin B1 deficiency can cause cardiomyopathy, or an enlarged heart, which in turn, interferes with the flow of blood to the brain. We must tell you that, Thiamine is a crucial vitamin for cell energy, and functioning of your muscles. Since our heart is one big muscle, a deficiency of thiamine can result in a very slow and abnormal heart rate, which in turn could cause dizziness, fainting, and fatigue.

It has been mentioned in a review of studies published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, that thiamine deficiency is worldwide caused mostly by an inadequate intake of thiamine-rich foods.

But as per a report from 2019 in StatPearls, it is explained that in the US, where diets mostly include lots of thiamine-rich foods, such as meats, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and fortified cereals and flour, thiamine deficiencies are more commonly seen in individuals suffering from chronic illness or alcoholism.⁽³⁾ Thiamine is also available in the form of multivitamin or multi-mineral supplements.⁽⁴⁾

Hyperventilation is also known as a rapid or deep breathing that is basically caused by panic or anxiety. This hyperventilation might sometimes leave you feeling breathless. As per a study that was published in PLoS One, and that looked at more than 600 patients who were admitted to the emergency room of a large university hospital and who were diagnosed with hyperventilation, it was found that they all had the condition of hyperventilation which was associated with symptoms like dizziness, fear, and tingling.⁽⁵⁾

With anxiety and panic, you hyperventilate a little, and when you do so, you reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood, which in turn makes the pH of your blood slightly higher than normal. Your brain is sensitive to this and thus, the blood vessels constrict. So, only less blood is made available and this can cause a sense of dizziness in you.

Anemia, or lack of blood is a condition that develops when one does not have enough of healthy RBCs. This means that your blood. This means that your blood does not carry the required amount of oxygen throughout your body. Most women during their periods are anemic. If you are anemic then you feel weak and tired.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, it has been mentioned that you might have shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, headaches, and dizziness.⁽⁶⁾

There are different types of anemia, which includes aplastic, pernicious, hemolytic, and iron deficiency anemia, and each type of anemia has its own cause. The most common cause of anemia is iron deficiency, accounting for about half of all cases across the world.⁽⁷⁾ The treatment for mild to moderate cases of anemia, usually consists of iron supplements and a change in your diet. However, for severe cases of anemia, the treatment could involve locating the real source and potentially surgery for stopping the blood loss.

Sometimes you might feel dizziness if you have an ear infection. You have mild vertigo is you at times wake up feeling dizzy, lost hearing on one side, and if you are a bit nauseous. You might feel worse as, days go on. You might have an inflammation of the inner ear or labyrinthitis, and this is generally triggered by an infection like a flu or common cold. It must be mentioned that diagnosing labyrinthitis or inner ear inflammation is challenging, since these symptoms are common in a lot of medical conditions.

With any of these medical conditions we have mentioned above, you could have other symptoms besides dizziness. If your dizziness do not go away in sometime or if it impacts your ability to function properly, or if it is accompanied by other symptoms that could make it difficult for you to do day-to-day activities, make sure that you see your doctor and discuss about your problem and also try to find out the underlying cause and get yourself treated well as soon as possible.

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