Many of us have found ourselves asking questions, whether in the ordinary course of the day or during the time of illness, “Why do I feel dizzy?”
While dizziness can be uncomfortable, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that occasional vertigo is very common in the elderly. But you may not have noticed that vertigo is still common, affecting almost 40% of people over 40 at least once in their lives.
So how do you know if you have vertigo or just dizziness? The main difference is that vertigo can cause nausea and vomiting while dizziness simply makes you feel temporarily off balance. That said, vertigo can be very different, ranging from annoying to serious.
This is what usually causes dizziness and lightheadedness. And what to do if you have one of these events.
1. Dizziness can be caused by an inner ear problem
One of the most surprising causes of vertigo is paroxysmal status vertigo. Your inner ear contains calcium and protein-based sensory crystals called otoconia. If these crystals are scattered and floating around in the canals of your inner ear, you may experience a brief spinning sensation. It is a simple mechanical problem that can and should be corrected with physical therapy, not drugs or surgery.
Although this type of vertigo is the most common balance disorder related to the inner ear, it affects one in a thousand people a year. And although it can affect adults of any age, this type of vertigo affects the elderly. Most cases occur for no apparent reason. It has been linked to trauma, migraines, inner ear infections, diabetes and osteoporosis. After treatment, 50% of patients may have this problem again within five years, even if it is due to trauma.
2. Your ear’s balance system controls blood flow
Our inner ear balance system helps control our blood flow. The inner ear has the ability to know in which direction the mountain is. When you go from lying down to standing up, two parts of the inner ear, the utricle and the saccule, sense gravity. They tell your cardiovascular system to direct blood flow to accommodate the change in position. When this process is wrong, it can cause dizziness.
3. Low vitamin B12 can cause dizziness
Deficiencies in this essential vitamin can lead to a number of neurological problems. With feeling unwell, low blood pressure and reduced blood flow to the brain. Vitamin B12 deficiency is easy to find and treat, but it is an often overlooked cause of dizziness.
Ask your doctor for a simple blood test to check your B12 levels if you’re feeling sick. Good sources of vitamin B12 are meat, dairy products and products fortified with this vitamin.
4. Dizziness can be a symptom of heart disease
A simple cause of vertigo is sudden movement. Like when you suddenly get up from your seat or bed. But sometimes dizziness is a sign of a heart problem. Cardiovascular causes of vertigo include leaking or narrowed heart valves, arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, and atherosclerosis. These diseases can cause dizziness because they reduce blood flow to the brain.
5. Migraines sometimes cause dizziness
It surprises some people to know that dizziness is often linked to migraine, with or without headache. Other symptoms of migraine-related vertigo include sensitivity to movement, light, and sound. About 40% of people who suffer from migraines experience vertigo or lightheadedness.
6. Dizziness can be linked to anxiety
Many people who suffer from vertigo, especially people in their twenties, may also be anxious. They often don’t want to hear that dizziness can be related to anxiety because it suggests it’s all in their head. But what’s in your head is your brain. And anxiety may indicate a disturbance in brain function that may be genetic in origin.
Compared to people without anxiety, people with anxiety disorders seem to blink more when they are subjected to a moving visual field. And they flow in a way that seems to synchronize with the visual movement. These people may be unusually sensitive to visual stimulation, as their dizziness may increase when looking at moving objects or when walking in a large bright store.
This is called viewing addiction. Little is known about its frequency. It is likely that in the future these disorders will be fixed, in part, based on genetics.
7. Riding a boat or water bed can cause dizziness
It is common to experience a feeling of dizziness the first day after traveling. For some people, this feeling, called sea sickness, can last for months or even years. About 75% of sailors may experience dizziness. Airplanes, cars and trains can also cause dizziness. Even resting on a waterbed can cause dizziness.
8. Dizziness and Dizziness can be Drug Side Effects
Many medications can cause dizziness there are too many to list them all. That said, high doses of blood pressure medications can cause dizziness. Especially in the elderly and in those who have started taking a higher dose for them.
Check if the medicines you are taking can cause dizziness, lightheadedness or loss of balance, by contacting your doctor or pharmacist. Careful revision of drug lists and reduced doses can sometimes bring surprising benefits.
9. Your diet or dehydration can make you dizzy
Even mild dehydration can cause dizziness or lightheadedness. Dehydration can also lead to low blood pressure. Which can cause dizziness. Foods can also cause dizziness, as some of them lead to dehydration. Mild dehydration followed by a loss of just 1-2% of your body weight can cause dizziness.
10. There are many uncommon causes of dizziness and vertigo
Watch them out for any stuns. Because they can, along with other symptoms, indicate something more serious. Like the warning signs of a brain or brain tumor.
A very rare disease linked to vertigo is Ménière’s disease. If you have long periods of vertigo and hearing problems in one ear, you may have Ménière’s disease. This disease affects about 0.2% of the population. It is sometimes seen in adults between 40 and 60. Although it cannot be cured, it can be treated.
