Occasional Lightheadedness
- Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness “If you have any of these symptoms, don’t ignore them. Call 911 or your medical provider,” says Dr. Check the CDC website for additional updates on COVID-19.
- Vertigo causes a similar feeling to dizziness but is a standalone condition. A person experiencing vertigo will feel like the environment around them is moving or spinning.
Lightheadedness can be associated with: Hemodynamic orthostatic hypotension (postural hypotension). Standing or sitting up too quickly can cause some people to experience a significant drop in their blood pressure, resulting in feeling lightheaded or faint.
Health Q & A with Dr. Michael Jacobson, D.O.
From the December 2019 issue ofHeartfeltMagazine.
Q: Recently I have been experiencing occasional lightheadedness or dizziness, especially when I stand from a sitting position. I am a 63-year-old in generally good health. Can you please give me some insight as to what might be the cause? Should I be concerned? Can you suggest a possible solution? Thank you in advance for your input; I always find your articles helpful.
A: Dehydration, a lack of water in the body, is the most common cause for general lightheadedness. Considering that your body is 60 percent water and your brain is 73 percent water, it’s not surprising that proper hydration is a crucial element for optimal health. Jesus, the Living Water, also reminds us in a metaphor how crucial water is for spiritual health, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37).
Dehydration can often be caused by diarrhea or from excess perspiration associated with increased physical activity. Medications (such as diuretics for blood pressure or heart disease) can also cause dehydration. In older folks (usually later in life than 63), it’s quite common for dehydration to occur without any connection to the above-mentioned reasons. Dehydration is often associated with a faster-than-normal heart rate and a lower than-normal blood pressure, so these can be checked as well. Given the common nature of dehydration, I suggest drinking plenty of water and perhaps adding some yogurt or probiotic to your daily diet to see if that helps the symptoms.
Perhaps the second most common cause is an inner ear problem, known as Benign Positional Vertigo (BPV). This condition typically manifests as severe symptoms of room-spinning (vertigo) and can be triggered by changing the position of your neck (thus the name). BPV symptoms are typically managed by medication, such as meclizine, and tends to be self-limited, resolving over the course of several weeks.
If it persists, I recommend that you see a doctor about it to make sure you don’t have another, perhaps more serious cause.
Please note: My office requires a one-week turnaround for medical information. If you have an acute or emergency medical incident, please seek immediate medical attention.
If you have a health question for Dr. Jacobson, CHM Medical Director, please email it to doc@chministries.org. This information is not intended to replace the advice of your physician.
Dizziness is a common symptom. Most of us describe any uneasy feeling or symptom as dizziness, ranging from sleepiness to lightheadedness and vertigo. However, dizziness is quite a specific symptom. It is a feeling very similar to lightheadedness where one feels that they will faint and sometimes a person may in fact faint shortly thereafter. Dizziness is a fairly common symptom in seniors so much so that caregivers sometimes pass it off as psychosomatic. However, dizziness should be considered as a serious symptom and investigated by a medical professional.
Reasons for Dizziness
Causes For Occasional Lightheadedness
There are many reasons why a person may feel dizziness. It is a common symptom of many diseases and disorders. In the seniors, who have no apparent disease, the most common causes of dizziness are related to cardiovascular conditions, glucose metabolism problems and respiratory or blood oxygenation problems. It can be related to some underlying disease (pathological) or due to the use of medication (iatrogenic).
Dizziness largely stems from inadequate oxygen or glucose supply to the brain thereby affecting its function. Since the brain is one of the most sensitive tissues in the body, responding to even minor alterations in oxygen and glucose levels, dizziness is one of the early warning signs. However, there are various other causes of dizziness and should the more common causes be excluded, the symptom should be investigated further.
The Heart and Blood Vessels
Occasional Lightheadedness
The heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body which is carried by the blood vessels. When there is a problem with heart function, sufficient blood may not reach every part of the body. The same applies to problems with the blood vessels and particularly the arteries when it is narrowed. Therefore sufficient oxygen may not reach the brain.
This can be seen with or just before a heart attack, stroke, in heart failure, bradycardia (low heart rate), hypotension (low blood pressure), hypertension (high blood pressure) and carotid artery narrowing among other cardiovascular conditions. Dizziness is often present in episodes or is mild for prolonged periods of time and suddenly worsens. When episodic, a person may have no dizziness or symptoms in between attacks.
Blood Glucose Levels
Impaired regulation of the blood glucose levels can mean that the brain is not receiving sufficient glucose. Sometimes the blood glucose levels may be too high but dizziness may not always be experienced in these instances. It is when the blood glucose levels drop too low (hypoglycemia) that dizziness occurs. One common cause that is not related to a disease is improper eating habits and inadequate nutrition.
In terms of disease, dizziness due to hypoglycemia is more common in diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes). It is a condition marked by high blood glucose levels but in the elderly, as the condition worsens and response to medication fluctuates, hypoglycemia may occur. Sometimes the incorrect use of diabetes medication can also lead to hypoglycemia and therefore dizziness.
Airways, Lungs and Blood
Sometimes the heart functions properly but the blood oxygen levels itself is low. It may arise with inadequate air flow through the airways, problems with oxygenation at the lungs or reduced capacity of the blood to carry oxygen. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, pneumonia and anemia are some of the common conditions where blood oxygenation is hampered.
Even with heart’s best efforts, the blood oxygen levels are insufficient to supply the brain and dizziness ensues. Usually dizziness in these settings is not sudden. It is either constant or gradually arises as a person requires more oxygen with increased physical activity. However, even rapid or deeper breathing does not relieve the symptoms until oxygen is administrated.
Last Updated: December 13th, 2012 by