Dizziness – Symptoms and Causes

Overview

Dizziness refers to various feelings like faintness, wooziness, or unsteadiness. When someone experiences a spinning sensation, this is specifically called vertigo. Many adults seek medical help for dizziness, making it a common health concern.

While persistent dizziness can impact daily life significantly, it rarely indicates a serious health threat.

The treatment approach depends on what is causing the dizziness and what symptoms appear. Treatment options often provide relief, though symptoms may return later.

Healthcare providers can help determine the underlying cause and recommend appropriate management strategies.

Common dizziness sensations include:

• Feeling faint
• Wooziness
• Weakness
• Unsteadiness
• Spinning (vertigo)

Symptoms

Dizziness can show up in different ways. Some people feel like they are spinning, which doctors call vertigo. Others might feel lightheaded or like they might faint.

Some lose their balance or feel unsteady. Others describe feeling like they’re floating, woozy, or having a heavy head.

These symptoms may get worse when you:

• Walk
• Stand up
• Move your head

You might also feel sick to your stomach while dizzy. Sometimes dizziness comes on so quickly or strongly that you need to sit or lie down.

Episodes can last from just a few seconds to several days, and they may happen again.

When to See a Doctor

Visit your healthcare provider if you have dizziness that:

• Keeps coming back
• Happens suddenly
• Is severe
• Lasts a long time
• Has no clear cause

Get emergency help right away if your dizziness comes with:

Serious Symptoms	Action
Severe headache or chest pain	Call emergency services
Fast or irregular heartbeat	Seek immediate care
Numbness or weakness in the arms, legs, or face	Go to the ER
Trouble walking	Seek help right away
Breathing problems	Call 911
Fainting or seizures	Get emergency care
Vision changes or hearing loss	Seek immediate attention
Confusion or slurred speech	Go to the ER immediately
Ongoing vomiting	Seek urgent care

Why People Feel Dizzy

Dizziness often comes from problems in the inner ear, which plays a key role in your balance system. Your balance depends on information from several sources working together:

• Eyes that track your position in space.
• Sensory nerves that tell your brain about your body’s position.
• Inner ear sensors that detect gravity and movement.

When your inner ear sends signals that don’t match what your eyes and nerves report, your brain gets confused. This creates vertigo—the feeling that things are spinning around you.

Common inner ear conditions include:

• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPV) – This common condition causes brief but intense spinning feelings when you move your head in certain ways. Simple actions like rolling over in bed, sitting up quickly, or getting hit in the head can trigger these episodes.
• Viral Infections – When viruses attack the vestibular nerve, they cause constant, intense vertigo. If the infection also affects your hearing, doctors call it labyrinthitis.
• Migraine-Related Vertigo – People who get migraines sometimes experience dizziness even without a headache. These dizzy spells can last from minutes to hours and may come with light sensitivity and noise sensitivity.
• Meniere’s Disease – This rare condition happens when too much fluid builds up in the inner ear. It causes sudden vertigo attacks that last for hours, along with intermittent hearing problems, ringing in the ears, and a feeling of fullness in the ear.

Blood Flow Issues Leading to Dizziness

When your brain doesn’t get enough blood, you may feel lightheaded or unsteady. Several circulation problems can cause this:

• Blood Pressure Drops – Standing up too quickly can cause a temporary drop in blood pressure, called orthostatic hypotension. This makes you feel briefly faint or dizzy.
• Poor Circulation – Heart problems like cardiomyopathy, heart attacks, irregular heartbeats, and mini-strokes can reduce blood flow to your brain. Low blood volume throughout your body can also mean your brain and inner ear don’t get enough blood.

Other Reasons You Might Feel Dizzy

Many other factors can make you feel off-balance:

• Nervous System Disorders – Conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, or nerves can cause worsening balance problems over time. Examples include Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
• Medication Side Effects – Many medications list dizziness as a possible side effect, including:
  • Anti-seizure drugs
  • Antidepressants
  • Sedatives and tranquilizers
  • Blood pressure medications (if they lower blood pressure too much)

• Anxiety – Certain anxiety disorders create feelings people describe as dizziness or wooziness. This happens with panic attacks and agoraphobia (fear of open spaces or leaving home).
• Anemia – Having too few healthy red blood cells can cause dizziness, along with:
  • Extreme tiredness
  • Weakness
  • Pale skin
• Low Blood Sugar – Also called hypoglycemia, this mainly affects people with diabetes who use insulin. Besides dizziness, you might feel sweaty and anxious.
• Carbon Monoxide Exposure – This dangerous gas causes symptoms that mimic the flu, including headaches, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.
• Heat and Dehydration – Not drinking enough fluids or being active in hot weather can make you dizzy. This risk increases if you take certain heart medications.

Risk Factors

Several factors can increase the chance of experiencing dizziness:

• Age – Older people often face more balance issues and dizziness due to natural aging processes. They typically take more medications that might cause dizziness as a side effect.

• Previous dizziness episodes – Having experienced dizziness in the past makes a person more likely to have future episodes.

Complications

Dizziness can create serious health risks beyond the symptom itself. People who experience dizziness face a higher chance of falls and injuries. This risk is particularly concerning for older adults.

Operating vehicles or equipment while dizzy significantly increases the potential for accidents. Even everyday activities become more dangerous when balance is impaired.

Without proper treatment for underlying causes of dizziness, individuals may develop chronic health problems. These long-term issues can affect quality of life and independence.