Dizzy All the Time

Causes of Light Headedness

Light headedness normally arises the moment your brain gets insufficient blood. This could take place when:

• You rise up too hurriedly after long periods of lying or sitting down, especially with the elderly.

• Your body is dehydrated due to fever, diarrhea, vomiting and other conditions.

• You experience a drastic drop in blood pressure.

Light headedness may also take place if you have a low blood sugar level, a cold, flu or an allergy. There are other threatening conditions that can cause light-headedness such as:

• Stroke

• Shock resulting from extreme decrease in blood pressure

• Heart issues like abnormal heart beat or heart attack

• Internal bleeding

In the event that these threatening disorders are noticeable, you will experience such symptoms like having a racing heart, chest pain, impaired vision and loss of speech amongst other signs. 

Causes of Vertigo

Vertigo could be a result of:

• Labyrinthitis, which is a viral infection in your inner ear coming after flu or cold.

• Meniere’s disease, which is a common problem of the inner ear.

• Benign positional vertigo, which is a feeling of spinning that, takes place after you shift your head.

Possible Causes for Both Vertigo and Light Headedness

There are other causes of both vertigo and light-headedness such as:

• Stroke

• Seizures

• Internal bleeding in the brain

• Some medications

• Tumor in the brain

• Several sclerosis 

Being attentive to symptoms of dizziness can help to manage and control the cause. Problems that are the main causes could be benign and at this stage be handled easily or they may be serious prompting for exhaustive therapy. You cannot link dizziness conditions to a particular cause. Several kinds of dizziness can be experienced concurrently, thus producing mixed symptoms. Sessions of dizziness could last for some seconds or continue for days. The length of the dizziness session is directly linked to the principal cause.  

Syncope symptoms include loss of coordination, light headedness, sweating, confusion and dimmed vision. Such symptoms can amount to fainting or a brief loss of awareness. They are linked to a reduced blood flow to your brain. They usually take place when an individual is standing and can be mitigated by lying down or sitting.

Vertigo is perceptible through a spinning sensation along with vomiting, fatigue, nausea, ringing in the ears or headache. A person may have problems in coordinating his body, walking or staying balanced. Nonsyncope nonvertigo dizziness is described through a sense of being out of balance that could worsen if the person makes an effort to move or carryout intense activities.  

Call 911 or go to an emergency room if you experience:

• Convulsions or continuous vomiting

• Fever above 101^oF, stiff neck or headache

• Loss of consciousness and/or fainting

• Dizziness following a head injury

• Chest pain, shortness of breath, severe headache, heart shivers, alteration in speech or vision, inability to move your body arms

Consult your doctor if you:

• Encounter hearing loss

• Suspect some medication could be the reason for such symptoms

• Encounter a difference in signs and symptoms you might have had previously, or

• Have never had that experience before

The doctor will want to know how you feel about your dizziness and would ask questions concerning your health generally. In addition to that, your doctor will carry out an examination of your throat, nose and ears. Some obvious tests will be conducted to ascertain your balance and nerve function, blood pressure and hearing.

There could be other extra tests including MRI or CT scan on your head, specialized tests of eye gesture following stimulation of your inner ear with cold or warm air or water (VNG—videonystagmography or ENG—electronystagmography), and sometimes carrying out blood tests or assessing your heart (cardiology). Testing of balance could also involve posturography and rotational chair analysis. To determine the appropriate treatment, your doctor will use your symptoms and identify a probable cause.

If you get light-headed when standing up, here are some useful tips to help you prevent dizziness:

• Don’t change your posture suddenly.

• Rise up from a lying or sitting position gradually, and be seated for some time before you can stand again.

• Hold on to something as you stand.

In the event that you get vertigo, these are important tips to help you avoid worsening your condition:

• Be still and make sure you rest when you experience the symptoms.

• Increase your activity slowly.

• Don’t make sudden position changes or movements.

• Use a cane to help you walk, especially when you experience loss of balance.

• Keep off sunny lights, TV or even reading to avoid worsening these symptoms.

You may be required to keep off such activities as working with heavy machinery, driving or doing climbing activities for a week following the disappearance of your symptoms. An abrupt dizzy period while doing these tasks can be hazardous.