Common Causes of Dizziness

Most people experience a bout of dizziness at some point of time in their life. The feeling of dizziness is experienced differently by different people. Many feel everything around them begins to spin, some feel lightheaded and weak; while, others may feel like everything is slowly getting dark, until they black out completely. What causes dizziness is a decrease in the blood supply to the brain. Thus, any condition that limits or discourages the supply of blood to the brain is a cause of dizziness. Dizziness is a symptom of a multitude of conditions. However, the spinning sensation is most often associated with the condition termed as vertigo. Some of the common causes of dizziness are as follows.

Low Blood Pressure: One of the causes for dizziness is low blood pressure. If a person's blood pressure drops, they may feel dizzy, lightheaded, and even as if they might pass out. When a person has low blood pressure, insufficient oxygen-rich blood is delivered to the brain, which causes the dizziness. A person may also experience sweating, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Very often, low blood pressure is the symptom of an underlying problem, such as anemia (decreased red blood cell count).

Heat Illnesses: Too much time spent in the hot sun can cause a heat stroke, which is initially experienced in the form of dizziness. In conditions such as extreme heat, high humidity, or vigorous exertion under the sun, if the body is unable to dissipate heat, and its temperature rises up to 106 degrees F (41.1 degrees C) or higher, it is called a heat stroke. While this is a serious medical emergency, other milder forms of the illness, called heat exhaustion or heat cramps, also cause dizziness.

Dehydration: Dehydration is one of the most common reasons for dizziness. Dehydration is the loss of water in the body, which may happen due to either excessive sweating, vomiting and diarrhea. At times, water loss also takes place when a person has a fever, as the the body tries to cool itself through sweating.

Vertigo: A number of conditions cause vertigo, which can be described as a whirling sensation. Vertigo disrupts the body's equilibrium, and is usually caused by a disorder of the inner ear or vestibular system (balance mechanism in your inner ear). Some of the conditions that give rise to vertigo are benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Meniere's disease and inflammation in the inner ear.

Heart Problems: Among the most worrisome dizziness causes are heart attack, cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythms), rapid heart rate, or slow heart rate. The heart may be unable to pump blood due to conduction disturbances such as supraventricular tachycardia and bradycardia. Cardiomyopathy is another cause of dizziness.

Medications: There are several medications that can cause a person to feel dizzy. Medications which block adrenaline receptors in the heart, called beta blockers, may limit the heart rate from increasing, when the body changes positions and thus, cause dizziness. Blood pressure medications, some antibiotics, sedatives, pain relievers, tranquilizers and antidepressants list dizziness as a possible side effect. Among other causes of dizziness are diuretics that can cause dehydration and ACE inhibitors that slow the heart rate.

Pregnancy: Dizziness during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, is very common. It may be felt anytime during the pregnancy, and women with blood pressure problems may experience it more often.

High Blood Pressure: People with high blood pressure, or hypertension, complain of headache, nausea, or dizziness. High blood pressure is often referred to as the "silent killer", thus if any symptoms are experienced, immediate action needs to be taken, and it must be quickly be brought under control.

These are just some of the common causes of dizziness. While dizziness often passes after a little rest, it must not be taken lightly, as most often it is an indication of an underlying problem. It is best to inform one's doctor of any bouts of dizziness.