DIZZINESS
Dizziness: When the World Will Not Hold Still
One moment you’re taking a nice stroll around your home, and the next you’re stumbling around with you or the world spinning, maybe even nauseous - and you wonder what just happened?
What Is Dizziness?
People use the word Dizziness to cover a wide variety of sensations:
Lightheaded, like you may faint.
Unsteady or off balance, "tipsy" if you will.
Weak, foggy, or “floaty”.
Like you are moving when you are standing still.
Or like the room is moving around you.
The spinning feeling is called vertigo. Vertigo is one type of dizziness, but not all dizziness is vertigo.
Dizziness is not a disease by itself. It is a symptom. It may come from the inner ear, brain, eyes, nerves, blood pressure, dehydration, medications, migraines, illness, anxiety, or other health problems.
In Arizona, dizziness may also happen when your body becomes dehydrated or overheated. Do not automatically assume the heat is the cause, especially when the dizziness is sudden, severe, or keeps returning.
Lightheadedness feels like you may faint. This may happen with dehydration, overheating, low blood pressure, illness, medication effects, or other medical problems.
Vertigo feels like you or the room is spinning or moving. It often involves the balance system in the inner ear, although other conditions can also cause it.
Imbalance feels like you are unsteady, leaning, floating, or unable to walk straight.
These feelings are not all the same. Before we can decide what may help, we must first understand exactly what “dizzy” means to you.
Why Do I Get Dizzy When I Stand Up?
Feeling dizzy after standing may happen when your blood pressure drops for a short time. This is sometimes called postural or orthostatic hypotension.
It may be more likely when you:
Stand up too quickly.
Are dehydrated.
Have been sick.
Have been lying down for a long time.
Are taking certain medications.
Have a condition that affects blood pressure or circulation.
Sit or lie down when you feel faint. Once the feeling passes, get up slowly and hold onto something steady.
Dizziness that happens often, causes fainting, or leads to falls should be evaluated. Do not simply blame it on getting older or standing too quickly.
Why Does Turning My Head or Rolling Over Make the Room Spin?
A brief spinning feeling caused by moving your head may be related to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, commonly called BPPV.
BPPV happens when tiny "stones" inside the inner ear move into the wrong place. Changing the position of your head then sends confusing messages to your brain about where your body and head are in relation to the body and the earth.
You may notice spinning when you:
Roll over in bed.
Look upward.
Bend down.
Sit up from bed.
Turn your head quickly.
BPPV is a common cause of vertigo and can often be treated with specific repositioning movements.
However, you should not assume every spinning sensation is BPPV. Proper diagnosis is key and there are very specific maneuvers to correct this issue.
Could My Neck Be Causing My Dizziness?
Sometimes dizziness happens with neck pain, stiffness, headaches, poor movement, arthritis, or a past neck injury.
This is sometimes called cervicogenic dizziness.
The neck helps your brain understand where your head is positioned. When the joints, muscles, and nerves of the neck are not communicating well, you may feel unsteady or lightheaded.
However, there is no single test that proves the neck is causing dizziness. Inner-ear, neurological, cardiovascular, medication-related, and other medical causes may need to be ruled out first.
At Active Family Chiropractic AZ, we look at:
When the dizziness began.
Whether neck movement triggers it.
Whether neck pain or headaches are present.
Whether you recently had an injury.
Whether you have hearing, vision, strength, speech, or balance changes.
Whether your symptoms suggest that you need medical or vestibular care.
Chiropractic care may be appropriate when the examination supports a mechanical neck problem. It is not the correct treatment for every type of dizziness.
When Is Dizziness a Warning Sign I Should Not Ignore?
Call 911 or seek emergency care for new or severe dizziness that comes with:
Facial drooping
Weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg
Trouble speaking or understanding speech
Double vision or sudden vision loss
A sudden, severe headache
Chest pain or trouble breathing
A rapid or irregular heartbeat
Fainting, confusion, or seizures
Trouble walking or severe loss of coordination
Ongoing vomiting
A recent serious head or neck injury
These symptoms may signal a stroke, heart problem, neurological emergency, or another serious condition.
Schedule an evaluation when dizziness keeps returning, lasts a long time, interferes with walking or driving, causes falls, or comes with hearing changes, ringing in the ears, headaches, nausea, or medication changes.
What Can I Do When I Feel Dizzy?
When dizziness is mild and there are no emergency warning signs:
Sit or lie down right away.
Move slowly and carefully.
Drink water if dehydration may be involved.
Avoid driving, ladders, exercise equipment, and heavy machinery.
Avoid standing up suddenly.
Rest in a cool place if you have been in the Arizona heat.
Write down what you were doing when the dizziness started.
Note whether head movement, standing, eating, heat, headaches, or medications seem to trigger it.
Do not perform random vertigo exercises unless you know what type of dizziness you have.
A movement that helps one condition may be unnecessary or inappropriate for another.
How We Look at Dizziness
At Active Family Chiropractic AZ, we do not assume every dizzy spell comes from your neck, your ears, dehydration, or low blood pressure.
We ask a wide variety of questions like:
Does the room spin, or do you feel faint? How long does each episode last? What movement or position brings it on?
Is there neck pain, a headache, or a past injury? Are there hearing or vision changes? Is there numbness, weakness, or trouble walking?
Have your medications recently changed? Have you been sick, dehydrated, or outside in the Arizona heat?
Through our Alpha 5 Phase System, we begin by identifying the pattern and making sure you are in the right place for care. When dizziness is connected to a mechanical neck, posture, or movement problem that is appropriate for chiropractic care, we will work to relieve irritation, realign better movement, rebuild strength, retrain balance and body control, and help you reclaim confidence in everyday activity.
If you are ready to take action, schedule at the link below.
If you still are not sure that chiropractic is the right move for you to make, then
may be a better fit for you.
The $67 Body Fix Assessment is a short visit that includes:
abbreviated new patient paperwork, a quick functional exam and a short consult with the doctor.
The goal is that you leave knowing what to do next - whether that is in our office or elsewhere.
remember:
no one is coming to save you because the hero is already inside you.
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Mon: 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tue: 2:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Wed: 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Thu: 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Fri: Appointment only
Sat: Appointment only
Sun: Closed
129 S Smith Road Tempe, AZ 85288
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