Dizziness What we need to know

08.10.2024

What is vertigo?

Vertigo is a feeling of lightheadedness, weakness, and unsteadiness, accompanied by the sensation of spinning around. It is often mild or mild and will resolve on its own, but there are also severe episodes of dizziness, along with other symptoms, that will not resolve on their own and require treatment.

Table of Contents

Causes of dizziness

Many parts of our body are involved in maintaining body balance: brain, eyes, inner ear (equilibrium organ), nerve endings in ankle and torso muscles, spinal cord neurons and others. When one of these systems does not work properly, the feeling of dizziness begins.

The most common causes of dizziness are:

Inner ear diseases (vertigo)
Middle ear infections
Anemias - with low concentration of erythrocytes and/or hemoglobin
Heart diseases
Brain injuries
Other brain diseases
Dehydration
Anxiety and stress
intoxication
some medications
Low blood glucose
etc

Vertigo

Vertigo is characterized by the sensation of the environment spinning, making it difficult to maintain balance while standing. Vertigo develops during various pathologies of the inner ear and vestibular (balance) apparatus. The vestibular apparatus is a system that helps us sense body position, coordinate movements, and maintain posture and balance.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

It results from movement of otoliths in the semicircular canals of the inner ear and is characterized by the development of sudden episodes of vertigo. Otoliths are calcium-containing formations that are located in the semicircular canals of the human balance organ - the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear - and serve the function of coordinating changes in body position and maintaining balance. Their misalignment causes wrong signals to be sent to the brain, resulting in dizziness.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is more common in older people. The cause of its development can also be a brain injury. As a rule, it is characterized by a course of moderate severity and often passes without treatment. Treatment involves specific positional exercises to bring the inner ear structures back into place.

Meniere's disease

Ménière's disease is associated with an increase in the amount of fluid in the semicircular canals of the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear. The disease is characterized by:

Periodic vertigo
Hearing loss
Tinnitus - noise in the ears
A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear
Sometimes feeling nauseous

The exact cause of the disease is unknown, although it can occur during: infectious diseases, head trauma, genetic predisposition, autoimmune processes and other pathologies.

Inner ear infections

Neuritis developed during middle ear infection causes vertigo. Two pathologies may develop during inflammation of the inner ear: vestibular neuritis (inflammation of the vestibular nerve) and labyrinthitis (inflammation of the semicircular canals of the balance organ).

Vestibular neuritis affects the vestibular nerve, and labyrinthitis affects both the vestibular nerve and the auditory nerve.

Other causes of vertigo

Other causes of dizziness are worth noting:

Acoustic neurinoma is a benign tumor of the auditory nerve that, as it grows in size, compresses both the auditory and vestibular nerves and causes vertigo.
Medicines that damage the inner ear: aminoglycoside antibiotics, diuretics, salicylates.
head injury
stroke
multiple sclerosis
Vestibular migraine

Heart disease and dizziness

The development of dizziness is sometimes a symptom of heart disease. It may also be an early symptom of myocardial infarction. If heart palpitations and dizziness develop at the same time, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Low blood pressure and dizziness

Dizziness may be a symptom of low blood pressure - hypotension. When blood pressure decreases, the blood flow in the blood vessels decreases, which reduces the supply of tissues with oxygen and nutrients. Since nerve cells are most sensitive to decreased blood circulation, weakness and dizziness develop in this condition, especially during rapid movement or standing.

Dizziness can also be caused by other diseases that occur due to blood circulation disorders:

heart attack
Acute bleeding
thromboses
Atherosclerotic blood vessels
Heart rhythm disorder and others

Other causes of dizziness

Dehydration

The body constantly loses fluid with exhaled air, urine and sweat. Insufficient intake of water leads to a decrease in blood pressure, thickening of the blood flow and a decrease in the speed of blood movement in the blood vessels, which worsens the blood supply to the tissues and causes dizziness, among other symptoms, such as: increased thirst, fatigue, dark urine. To avoid dehydration, it is necessary to drink enough fluids and limit coffee, tea, sweet and alcoholic drinks.

Medications

Dizziness is a side effect of many medications, including:

Antibiotics
Antidepressants
Anticonvulsants (anti-epileptic drugs)
Blood pressure regulators
Sedatives

Hypoglycemia - low blood sugar level

A decrease in blood sugar level along with dizziness causes: trembling of the limbs, increased hunger, sweating, in extreme cases - a change in consciousness.

Traumatic brain injuries

Concussion and other traumatic injuries are characterized by:

Dizziness
headache
Nausea and vomiting
noise in the ears
blurred vision
Drowsiness
Changing consciousness

This condition requires immediate medical attention.

Anxiety and stress

During anxiety, in addition to emotional instability, physical symptoms may also develop, including dizziness.

Carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication

Carbon monoxide is the result of incomplete combustion of carbon-containing products - gasoline, gas, oil, etc. It is a highly toxic, colorless, odorless gas that forms an irreversible bond with hemoglobin and prevents the transport of oxygen to tissues. Inhalation of CO with a high concentration causes not only dizziness and the development of other symptoms (headache, weakness, nausea-vomiting, change of consciousness), but also ends in death in severe cases.

Iron deficiency anemia

Anemias are quite common causes of dizziness and weakness. Iron is an essential mineral that forms a bond with the hemoglobin protein and binds oxygen that is transported to tissues and organs. Iron deficiency leads to a decrease in the ability to bind oxygen, which is manifested by the following signs:

Weakness
Dizziness
Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath
Decreased ability to concentrate
Pale skin
headache

There are many reasons for the development of iron deficiency anemia:

Internal bleeding - from the gastrointestinal or genitourinary system
massive bleeding
Chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases
Diseases with hemolysis (breakdown of blood cells).
Gastric bariatric surgery
Kidney diseases

How to reduce dizziness?

In many cases, dizziness may go away on its own. If you feel dizzy suddenly, lie down on a hard surface for some time and get up slowly without any sudden thoughts. Often this method is effective.

When dizziness is associated with a specific cause, it is important to detect this cause in time and eliminate it. Eg: dehydration, low blood glucose levels, medications. If the cause of dizziness is an organic disease, it is necessary to consult a doctor for timely diagnostics and treatment.

When to see a doctor?

If the dizziness had an episodic character and passed soon, there is nothing to worry about. But when episodes of dizziness are repeated and/or the duration increases, other symptoms are attached - it is necessary to consult a specialist and investigate possible causes.

To diagnose dizziness caused by anemia, "Synevo" We offer a wide range of laboratory studies: