You know that familiar feeling where either the world seems to be spinning, your head feels heavy, and your entire body feels off balance. Sometimes you may even feel like you are going to faint. That feeling is described as dizziness (via Mayo Clinic) and it can be quite harmless when it’s only temporary or a symptom of something more serious. You know you don’t like feeling because it can throw your entire day or routine off.
There are different types of dizziness, as well. Vertigo is what you are experiencing when you feel like the room is moving and spinning all around you, but you are most certainly not. It can be quite a disconcerting feeling, but is not necessarily life-threatening. Disequilibrium occurs when you feel off-balance and it simply means your equilibrium is off, according to Healthline. While dizziness is a normal phenomenon we have all felt at one time or another, it is not frequently dangerous, but it can have several underlying causes.
There are several reasons why you might be feeling dizzy
While dizziness is not the most ideal feeling in the world, it can be caused by simple and temporary things in your life. According to the Mayo Clinic, vertigo can be caused by a temporary inner ear problem, issues with your sensory nerves, and trouble with eye focus, as the eyes help you determine which direction your body moves.
Of course, vertigo is not the only type of dizziness and more general dizziness can be caused by medications you might be taking, dehydration, motion sickness when in a car or on a boat, anxiety, a quick drop in blood pressure, and even over-exercising, according to Healthline. The Mayo Clinic reported that even some viral infections can cause dizziness, as well as underlying conditions like Meniere’s disease, which is characterized by excessive fluid that builds up in your inner ear. Even a severe headache like a dreaded migraine can also cause a person to feel temporarily dizzy.
When to seek medical care when you are dizzy
Sometimes that feeling of dizziness is not harmless at all and can be a sign of something more serious. If it’s accompanied by certain other symptoms, seek the care of a physician. Those symptoms include a high fever, blurred vision, pain in your neck, a feeling of numbness or tingling, continuous vomiting, and hearing loss. Head injuries also frequently cause dizziness and any head injury should be examined by a medical professional. You also want to see a doctor if your dizziness is accompanied by a droopy feeling by your eyes or mouth (via Healthline).
The Mayo Clinic also noted low iron as a common dizziness cause, so you might want to visit your doctor for a blood test to see if you need an iron supplement. If your dizziness and accompanying symptoms are frequent or continuous, Healthline advised to err on the side of caution and seek medical attention to make sure an underlying condition is not the cause.
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