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What Causes Dizziness?
In recent weeks I have been experiencing a (for me) issue. A sense of dizziness, but it doesn t feel like that way. It is more like a feeling of when just before one falls asleep in a hazy state. Yet I can have a problem with walking, not keeping my feet in a straight line. I can tell this feeling happens in my head; sometimes when I bend over, but even when I am still. Any ideas? I plan see my doctor next week.
Wed, 5 Oct 2016
Hello,
Thank you for asking at HCM.
There are many causes of dizziness from the most simple ones like due to a viral infection we might be going through to more important ones like heart or brain issues. The timing, for how long are you having them is very important and the other symptoms you might have and chronic conditions you might be having also.
The dizziness you are prescribing is more like a problem with balance. If this is in the terrain of sore throat, runny nose, blocked ears and for less than a week it might be due to a viral infection that might be effecting your inner ear.
If you are having chest pain, palpitations, weakness of an arm or a limb or numbness there this is more important and might be from heart or brain causes.
What I would recommend is:
1. watch from falls- you are at risk of falling and head trauma. Stand up slowly or in stages, keep yourself safe by being close to a place you can hold in case of feeling very dizzy and sit down if you think you are at risk of falling.
2. Make sure you drink well and eat regular frequent small meals.
3. Avoid any illicit drug use, smoking or alcohol
4. If you take medications for other chronic conditions you will need to take them regularly
5. it is a great idea to see your doctor, especially if you are over 40 or having neurological symptoms like weakness or numbness, chest pain, palpitations. You will need an ear examination and what we call a head to toe examination (a thorough examination with neurological exmaination included). It is always good to have a sugar check, lipids, creatinine, ALT, have an ECG/heart ultrasound done, K+, TSH and CBC (for anemia).
6. Your doctor might decide for an MRI if he finds neurological signs in neurological examination or an audiograme (specific ear test) if he suspects your inner ear to be effected.
7. If all these tests come out normal than we have ruled out many serious conditions and it might be safe to just watch you and see how you would be doing in the next 1-2 weeks, time when most viral causes should settle down.
I hope this answers to your question and is helpful to you.
Best regards,
Dr Antoneta
Thank you for asking at HCM.
There are many causes of dizziness from the most simple ones like due to a viral infection we might be going through to more important ones like heart or brain issues. The timing, for how long are you having them is very important and the other symptoms you might have and chronic conditions you might be having also.
The dizziness you are prescribing is more like a problem with balance. If this is in the terrain of sore throat, runny nose, blocked ears and for less than a week it might be due to a viral infection that might be effecting your inner ear.
If you are having chest pain, palpitations, weakness of an arm or a limb or numbness there this is more important and might be from heart or brain causes.
What I would recommend is:
1. watch from falls- you are at risk of falling and head trauma. Stand up slowly or in stages, keep yourself safe by being close to a place you can hold in case of feeling very dizzy and sit down if you think you are at risk of falling.
2. Make sure you drink well and eat regular frequent small meals.
3. Avoid any illicit drug use, smoking or alcohol
4. If you take medications for other chronic conditions you will need to take them regularly
5. it is a great idea to see your doctor, especially if you are over 40 or having neurological symptoms like weakness or numbness, chest pain, palpitations. You will need an ear examination and what we call a head to toe examination (a thorough examination with neurological exmaination included). It is always good to have a sugar check, lipids, creatinine, ALT, have an ECG/heart ultrasound done, K+, TSH and CBC (for anemia).
6. Your doctor might decide for an MRI if he finds neurological signs in neurological examination or an audiograme (specific ear test) if he suspects your inner ear to be effected.
7. If all these tests come out normal than we have ruled out many serious conditions and it might be safe to just watch you and see how you would be doing in the next 1-2 weeks, time when most viral causes should settle down.
I hope this answers to your question and is helpful to you.
Best regards,
Dr Antoneta
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