High Blood Pressure Slideshow Pictures Heart Disease Slideshow Pictures Stroke Symptoms Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Dizziness Causes

Dizziness may be attributed to a wide variety of causes. Sometimes health care practitioners find no specific diagnosis for the affected individual, but causes of dizziness that are dangerous should not be excluded, for example

• high blood pressure, usually extremely high, causing damage to the brain,
  
  
• low blood pressure, which can have multiple causes including diseases of the heart, bleeding disorders that cause anemia, and adverse reactions to medications
  
  
• Dizziness caused by heart disease include
  
  
  • heart attack, arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythms), heart rate too fast, heart rate too slow, and/or
    
    
  • weakened, aged, or diseased heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), toxins or drugs that affect the rate or force of the contractions of the heart.
  
  
• Causes of dizziness from brain diseases or conditions include
  
  
  • stroke, tumor, headaches, migraines, hyperventilation,
    
    
  • fainting (syncope) is a loss of blood supply to the brain that causes a loss of consciousness, typically after loss of blood output by the heart,
    
    
  • many things may trigger the infamous "common faint" - emotions, rapidly assuming an upright position, even urination,
    
    
  • dementia includes any illness causing confusion or an altered state of mind, such as medications, drugs, or alcohol.
  
  
• Dizziness caused by medications (Almost all medications list dizziness as a possible side effect.) Examples include
  
  
  • blood pressure medications, sedatives, tranquilizers, antidepressants, pain relievers, and some antibiotics,
    
    
  • diuretics, causing dehydration, blood electrolyte changes, heart effects, or other direct side effects.
  
  
• Dizziness caused by metabolic disorders, for example
  
  
  • hypoxia (low blood oxygen),
    
    
  • low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) including an insulin reaction, and/or
    
    
  • dehydration (from many causes).
  
  
• Dizziness and aging, for example
  
  
  • reduced capacity for exercise or activity,
    
    
  • reduced ability for the blood circulation to compensate for quickly assuming an upright position (orthostatic hypotension),
    
    
  • hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis) causing a decreased blood supply to the brain, heart, and other organs,
    
    
  • weakness, deconditioning,
    
    
  • neuropathy (a progressive dysfunction of the nerves from many illnesses, especially diabetes), and
    
    
  • Dizziness in women can also occur as a symptom of menopause.
  
  
• Other illness that may cause dizziness include
  
  
  • internal bleeding or hemorrhage, which may go unnoticed,
    
    
  • anemia (low red blood cell count),
    
    
  • prolonged bed rest, causing weakness, loss of ability to compensate for assuming an upright position,
    
    
  • infections,
    
    
  • endocrine diseases in which hormone-producing organs such as the thyroid, adrenal glands, and pituitary gland affect hydration, salt balance, and function of other organs, and/or
    
    
  • allergies may cause wheezing or low blood pressure, or can trigger sinusitis, which can result in dizziness.
  
  
• Psychiatric reasons for dizziness include
  
  
  • depression, anxiety, or panic disorder,
    
    
  • hyperventilation is from breathing too fast or too deeply, usually from anxiety (This may not be apparent to the patient or to observers. Associated hand and foot cramping increase anxiety and perpetuate a cycle.), and
    
    
  • somatization is the conversion of a mental illness, such as anxiety or depression, into physical symptoms. (Often, the patient may be unaware of the underlying mental illness and insist that they have only physical complaints.)