What makes people dizzy

It's helpful to note: what you were doing at the time you felt dizzy how long it lasted and how bad it was whether you had any other symptoms — such as fainting, vomiting, nausea, blurred vision, headache, hearing loss or tinnitus If you're taking prescription medicine, your GP will probably review this to check whether dizziness is a possible side effect.

You may be referred to a specialist for further tests and investigations. Common causes of dizziness The most common causes of dizziness are outlined below. Labyrinthitis — an inner ear infection that affects your hearing and balance, and can lead to a severe form of dizziness called vertigo. Migraine — dizziness may come on before or after the headache, or even without the headache.

Stress or anxiety — particularly if you tend to hyperventilate breathe abnormally quickly when resting. Low blood sugar level hypoglycaemia — which is usually seen in people with diabetes. Postural hypotension — a sudden fall in blood pressure when you suddenly sit or stand up, which goes away after lying down.

This is more common in older people. Dehydration or heat exhaustion — dehydration could be due to not drinking enough during exercise, or illness that causes vomiting, diarrhoea or fever. Vertebrobasilar insufficiency — decreased blood flow in the back of the brain, which may be caused by the blood vessels that lead to the brain from the heart being blocked known as atherosclerosis. These hormones narrow the blood vessels, raise the heart rate, and cause rapid, shallow breathing. These responses can lead to dizziness or lightheadedness.

Dizziness is a common symptom of anxiety. However, the exact relationship between the two varies among people. Some people may experience anxiety attacks that trigger dizziness, while others might have a sudden onset of dizziness that triggers an anxiety attack.

Stressful events, such as an exam or a challenging emotional situation, can trigger anxiety attacks. People may feel dizzy, disoriented, and nauseous during an anxiety attack.

Dizziness may indicate a more serious underlying medical condition when it occurs alongside symptoms such as:. Experiencing an episode of sudden or severe dizziness can be alarming. However, the dizziness usually resolves on its own and does not require emergency medical attention. Dizziness is a nonspecific symptom that can indicate an underlying medical condition, such as anxiety, stress, or low blood sugar.

People should speak with their healthcare provider if they experience severe or recurring dizziness. Dizziness while lying down, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, has many causes, including head injuries, diabetes, and migraines. Vomiting and dizziness are not pleasant but often go away on their own. However, it is vital to be aware of causes that warrant medical attention….

Some medications can also contribute…. Several conditions can cause both fatigue and dizziness. We take a look at five, and discuss other symptoms and treatments for each condition.

What causes dizziness? Medically reviewed by Seunggu Han, M. Vertigo Motion sickness Migraine Low blood pressure Cardiovascular disease Low iron Hypoglycemia Autoimmune inner ear disease Stress Anxiety When to see a doctor Takeaway Dizziness refers to a range of sensations, such as feeling as though the room is spinning, lightheadedness, and feeling physically unsteady.

Share on Pinterest Vertigo or a migraine can cause dizziness. Motion sickness. Low blood pressure. Cardiovascular disease. Low iron. Share on Pinterest Eating a diet rich in iron can reduce the symptoms of anemia. Hypoglycemia low blood sugar. Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:. Dizziness often goes away after you're treated for something else. For example: an ear infection migraine dehydration or heat exhaustion stress or anxiety low blood sugar level hypoglycaemia because of diabetes iron deficiency anaemia motion sickness.

Possible causes of dizziness Dizziness symptoms Possible causes When standing or sitting up suddenly sudden drop in blood pressure postural hypotension Feeling off-balance, losing some hearing, ringing or other sounds in your ears tinnitus inner-ear problems Feeling off-balance or like things are spinning, feeling or being sick, sometimes after a cold or flu labyrinthitis After starting new prescription medicine side effect of medicine With symptoms like hearing loss, double vision, blurred vision, numb face, arms or legs decreased blood flow to the brain, possibly from clogged arteries atherosclerosis.

Feeling off-balance, losing some hearing, ringing or other sounds in your ears tinnitus.