Dizziness (Lightheadedness)

Dizziness (lightheadedness) - Illnesses & conditions Home Illnesses and conditions Symptoms and self-help Tests and treatments Healthy living Care, support and rights Scotlands Service Directory 0 Home Illnesses and conditions Brain, nerves and spinal cord Dizziness (lightheadedness) Dizziness (lightheadedness) Dizziness (lightheadedness) is a common symptom thats not usually a sign of anything serious, but should beinvestigated by a doctor. The term dizziness means different things to different people some use it to describe feeling lightheaded or off balance, while others use it to describe a feelingthat their surroundings are spinning. Because thesymptom is quite vague and can be caused bya wide range of things, it may not always be easy to identify the underlying cause. Thispage explains what you should do if you feeldizzy for no apparent reason, and outlines the most common causes. When to seek help with dizziness Speak to your GP if you: are feeling lightheaded or off balance have fainting episodes experienceheadaches Your GP will want to establish exactly what you mean by dizziness, and check that youre not actually describing vertigo  a severe type of dizziness,where you feel your surroundings are spinning or moving. Theyll also want to know: whether the dizziness started for no apparent reason, or if it followed an illness whether you have repeated episodes of dizziness and, if so, when you tend to experience these how long the dizziness lasts Dizziness can sometimes be caused by an ear condition. A simple way of distinguishing between ear-related dizziness and dizziness due to other causes is todetermine whether it occurs only when youre upright or also when youre lying down. If feeling dizzyoccurswhen youre upright its probably not related to the ear. If it happens when youre lying down, its usually caused by a viral ear infection, which cant be treated with antibiotics . Its a good idea to keep a diary recording when and where you feel dizzy and take it with you to your GP appointment. Its 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 youre taking prescription medicine, your GP will probably review this to check whether dizziness is a possible side effect. If necessary, they can prescribe a different medication for you to try. You may be referred to a specialist for further tests and investigations. Common causes of dizziness The most common causes are: 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 orheat exhaustion dehydration could bedue to not drinking enoughduring exercise, or illness that causesvomiting, 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) Less common causes of dizziness Less common causes include: having a severe illness or condition that affects the whole body using recreationaldrugsor consuming excessive amounts of alcohol (either binge drinking or long-term alcohol misuse ) certain types of prescription medicine  such as antidepressants or blood pressure medication having aheart rhythm problem  such as atrial fibrillation (a fast, irregular heartbeat) carbon monoxide poisoning Source: NHS  24 - Opens in new browser window Last updated: 07 March 2024 How can we improve this page? Help us improve NHS inform Thank You Your feedback has been received Dont include personal information e.g. name, location or any personal health conditions. Email Address e.g. you@example.com Message Maximum of 500 characters Send feedback Add this page to\n            Info For Me Also on NHS inform Labyrinthitis Headaches Self-help guide: Headache Other health sites Brain and Spine Foundation: Dizziness and balance problems NHS inform About NHS inform Editorial policy Contact us Webchat Give feedback about NHS inform Info for Me tool Terms and conditions Privacy and cookies policy Freedom of information (FOI) Accessibility Other languages and formats  2023 NHS 24  v1.1.1.17852