Lightheadedness Causes

Lightheadedness is the feeling that you are about to fall, i.e., it is the sensation of dizziness which can be either recurrently or suddenly experienced by people. It is similar to vertigo. Symptoms of lightheadedness can be observed due to several reasons.

Causes of Lightheadedness

Low Blood Pressure: When the blood pressure of a person drops significantly, there is a temporary shortage of blood to the brain as adequate oxygen rich blood does not reach the brain. This affects the normal functioning of the brain, and hence, the person feels dizzy and lightheaded. Most of the time, it is observed that low blood pressure is a side effect of hypertension medications. When the blood pressure lowers, other symptoms like sweating, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, etc. are also observed.

Low Blood Sugar: Sometimes, the sugar level in the blood drops suddenly. This is known as low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. The inadequate supply of glucose to the brain results in temporary impaired function of the brain, which results in occurrence of lightheadedness and sweating. It should also be noted that low blood sugar is very uncommon in case of people who are non-diabetics.

Cardiac Arrhythmia: Cardiac arrhythmia is the abnormal heart muscle contraction, i.e., there is an irregularity in the heart beats. The heart beats either very fast or very slow. When the symptoms of lightheadedness occur in recurrent episodes, there can be maximum possibility of the presence of heart related illnesses. Sometimes, lightheadedness can also be a symptom of a heart attack.

Anemia: When a person has less amount of hemoglobin in his blood, he is said to suffer from anemia. Anemia also occurs when the red blood cells (RBC) count of blood decreases. As hemoglobin carries oxygen in the blood, lack of hemoglobin results in reduced amount of oxygen in the blood which can result in lightheadedness.

Alcoholism: It is common knowledge that alcoholism is one of the most important lightheadedness causes. When a person consumes alcoholic drinks, his blood sugar level falls too low, which can result in hangover symptoms like dizziness and headaches.

... During Pregnancy

Dizziness and lightheadedness during pregnancy is very common, and nearly all women experience it. The growth of blood vessels and pressure of the uterus on these vessels can make a pregnant woman feel lightheaded. In order to overcome it, a woman should have regular meals and also avoid being in a standing position for a long time. Similarly, people may also experience lightheadedness if they rise very quickly from a lying or sitting position.

Treatment

If you feel lightheaded consecutively for more than 2 days, or have recurrent episodes of lightheadedness, you should immediately visit your doctor. As lightheadedness can be a symptom of serious and chronic illnesses, it should be taken seriously and treated soon. Low blood pressure can be treated by through supplements or by changing diet. Low blood sugar can be brought to the normal level by immediately administrating dextrose sugar, glucose or carbohydrate foods. Similarly, anemia, if mild, can be treated through vitamin supplements and iron rich diet. On the other hand, if it is severe, blood transfusion may be required. Lightheadedness, if caused due to heart related illness, can be treated only thorough hospitalization.

Prevention

There certainly are a few preventive measures that can help in precluding lightheadedness up to some extent. For e.g., eating regular meals and avoiding a large interval between two meals can prevent hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. Similarly, alcohol consumption should be avoided.

One should remember that lightheadedness can be a warning symptom of a severe disease. Therefore, one should have its causes and symptoms evaluated by the doctor as early as possible. This information is not to be substituted for medical consultation and advice.