We all get a bit of giddiness sometimes. What can we do for it, and when does it indicate a serious problem?

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WHAT CAUSES GIDDINESS?

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There are so many things that can cause a bit of giddiness. Some common causes include:

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1. Low blood sugar: Your blood sugar can drop if you skip a meal. This risk is especially high if you are a Diabetic.

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2. Dehydration: Not drinking enough water, especially on a hot day, can trigger episodes of giddiness, especially when you stand up from a seated or lying position.

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3. Low red blood cell count (Anemia): If you are having your menses, you can have quite a bit of blood loss, and this can cause some anemia and postural giddiness. There are other things that can cause anemia - such as iron-deficiency, if your diet is deficient in this mineral for a prolonged period, or Thalassemia, which is a medical condition you are born with. If you do have anemia, you do need to make sure that you don't need further checks to make sure you don't have cancer - see a doctor to get and yourself checked and to see if you need to go for any further tests.

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4. Viral illness: It is very common to have a bit of light-headedness and generalised lethargy (feeling very tired) when you're down with a flu or food poisoning episode. The giddiness will get better once your viral illness has settled down.

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5. Ear issues: Any ear infection, injury, or even a large amount of ear wax can affect your hearing and sense of balance. This giddiness tends to be vertiginous in nature - the room 'spins' around you, and you feel very unsteady on your feet. Read our article on Vertigo to understand a bit more!

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6. A stroke: A small blood clot in your brain can cause you to have persistent giddiness, that doesn't improve with rest and medication. Your risk of getting a stroke does increase with age, although there are still young patients who do get strokes, usually because of an underlying medical problem. You'll need a brain scan to check for this, so do consider going to a hospital if you aren't getting better.

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7. Electrolyte problems: You may feel very light-headed if your Sodium levels are too high or too low. This can happen if you are dehydrated, or drink too much plain water all at once (such as 1 to 2 litres of water). You can also get Sodium level imbalances due to kidney problems, thyroid problems, being on certain medications (like anti-depressants), or brain injuries (like a recent stroke).

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8. Motion sickness: You may feel giddy and nauseous every time you ride in a vehicle, like in a car or bus, or go on a boat ride. This is a pretty common issue for a lot of people, but not everyone is affected very severely by it.

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WHAT CAN I DO?

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When you have an episode of giddiness, try to find somewhere to sit and rest. The last thing you want to do is to lose your balance and fall over, since you may injure yourself.

 

Try to get yourself home, get out from under the sun, hydrate yourself, have a small snack (or a sugary drink if your appetite isn't so good), and lie down and rest. 

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You can consider investing in 2 pieces of medical equipment to help monitor yourself - a blood pressure monitor, and a Glucometer (for checking your blood glucose levels). Both are essential if you are Diabetic.

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Take your blood pressure - if it's lower than 90/60, your low blood pressure may be causing you giddiness - you'll need an urgent medical check. If your blood pressure is too high - anything over 160/110 would be considered significant - you need to make sure your high blood pressure level is not causing you this giddiness. If your blood pressure is either too low or too high and you are having giddiness, this is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY - get yourself checked by a doctor urgently!

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Next, check your blood sugar level with the Glucometer. Anything less than 4 mmol/L is considered low, and can cause giddiness. Quickly have a sugary snack (like a 'Milo' drink, and some biscuits), and go see a doctor - you may need some of your medications adjusted if you are Diabetic, or some blood tests done if you don't have any history of Diabetes. This episode of low blood sugar could actually be the first sign of you being Diabetic, or having a problem in some of your organs (like your 'Pancreas', which is responsible for producing Insulin, the hormone that regulates your blood sugar levels).

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SEE A DOCTOR?

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I really would recommend going to see a doctor, especially if the giddiness is persistent, or is very recurrent. Generally speaking, if it isn't a serious issue, it should settle down with some rest and medication.

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If it lasts beyond a few hours, even after some medication and bedrest, you should go get yourself checked. 

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Your doctor will check your neurologic function, and your heart and ears, and may want to do some blood tests - such as a blood count to check your Haemoglobin (red blood cell) level. 

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If he or she feels that you need to go get a brains can done, it's safer to just go to the hospital and get it done. Waiting in the Emergency Department and spending most of your day getting tested may seem like a hassle, but you definitely don't want to risk missing a serious issue like a stroke in your brain. AT the very least, if all your tests come back clear, you'll have some peace of mind and will know that there isn't anything serious or life-threatening going on.

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MOTION SICKNESS

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This is a really common issue, affecting a significant proportion of the people around you. However, it is severe enough to cause nausea and vomiting in only a few people. 

Motion sickness happens because of the shifting of fluid and small particles in your inner ear, made worse due to the swaying motions on board vehicles like cars, buses and boats. Your inner ear is partly responsible for maintaining your balance, so this shifting of fluid inside it will definitely affect your sense of balance.

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You'll know you have motion sickness because your giddiness affects you only when you are on a vehicle in motion, and it should subside some time after you get off the vehicle.

 

A simple medication called like 'Dimenhydrinate', or 'Dimenate' works well for this issue - just take a tablet an hour before you get on the vehicle.

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WRAP IT UP!

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Giddiness is a really common issue that affects all of us at some point of time in our lives. You need to try and recognize when to seek medical attention - such as when your giddiness is very persistent, or severe.