Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Light Headed, Short Episodes Of Dizziness, Feeling Warm Post Eating, Chronic Condition. Causes ?
Question: I was sitting at my desk and all of a sudden i felt light headed and it lasts about 15-30secs. This has been happening to me for about 6 months now, every now and then. I know its not related to being hungry because i just ate lunch. What could this be?
I have also noticed that after i eat i feel warm.
Thank you for submitting your question.
Your question is a very good one and I will work on providing you with some good information and recommendations regarding what is going on.
The fact that you are having symptoms after a meal is very significant. In some patients there can be a time relation of consumption of a meal and feelings of lightheadedness or dizziness. This is in large part due to the fact that blood is shunted or marginated to the area of the intestines in order to improve digestion after meals. When this happens it can reduce the flow of blood to the brain and create a situation where lightheadedness may occur. I am convinced that this is a possible explanation for the symptoms you are experiencing.
I would recommend that for the next 6 to 8 weeks you change from eating large meals to eating six small meals per day. The thinking along these lines is that the smaller meals will cause less of a margination of your blood supply to the intestines and your symptoms should be less frequent.
I also think it would be beneficial for your Primary care provider to evaluate you with some screening blood tests. I would suggest a screening complete blood count and metabolic profile as well as hormonal profile including Thyroid hormone levels.
The warmth that you feel with eating may not necessarily be a pathological problem. It could possibly be related to the fact that your metabolic rate increases with the stimulation of the digestive tract. The only other thing that I can think of which might be related to this would be some type of hormonal imbalance such as thyroid dysfunction or possibly estrogen and progesterone imbalance.
Your doctor can perform a simple blood test to check your thyroid function as well as your hormone levels. If those are all within normal limits, I would suggest that you change your diet as I have suggested for 6 to 8 weeks and observe for improvement.
I thank you again for submitting your question. I hope you found my response to be helpful and informative. If you have any additional concerns I would be happy to address them.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert
Your question is a very good one and I will work on providing you with some good information and recommendations regarding what is going on.
The fact that you are having symptoms after a meal is very significant. In some patients there can be a time relation of consumption of a meal and feelings of lightheadedness or dizziness. This is in large part due to the fact that blood is shunted or marginated to the area of the intestines in order to improve digestion after meals. When this happens it can reduce the flow of blood to the brain and create a situation where lightheadedness may occur. I am convinced that this is a possible explanation for the symptoms you are experiencing.
I would recommend that for the next 6 to 8 weeks you change from eating large meals to eating six small meals per day. The thinking along these lines is that the smaller meals will cause less of a margination of your blood supply to the intestines and your symptoms should be less frequent.
I also think it would be beneficial for your Primary care provider to evaluate you with some screening blood tests. I would suggest a screening complete blood count and metabolic profile as well as hormonal profile including Thyroid hormone levels.
The warmth that you feel with eating may not necessarily be a pathological problem. It could possibly be related to the fact that your metabolic rate increases with the stimulation of the digestive tract. The only other thing that I can think of which might be related to this would be some type of hormonal imbalance such as thyroid dysfunction or possibly estrogen and progesterone imbalance.
Your doctor can perform a simple blood test to check your thyroid function as well as your hormone levels. If those are all within normal limits, I would suggest that you change your diet as I have suggested for 6 to 8 weeks and observe for improvement.
I thank you again for submitting your question. I hope you found my response to be helpful and informative. If you have any additional concerns I would be happy to address them.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
