Dizziness

There are many causes of dizziness, including medication, and alcohol, and medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, hypoglycemia.   Other conditions that may cause dizziness include stress, anxiety, allergies, and pregnancy.  There can, of course, be more serious causes of dizziness (and vertigo, see below) and these include stroke, trauma, or types of cancer.  So if you, or a family member, are suffering from dizziness or vertigo, get it checked by your GP.

Tightness in the neck and shoulder muscles (possibly a result of stress, overwork or anxiety) may also have some effect on the neck and occiput  (back of the head) and potentially be a cause of dizziness, through reducing blood flow to (or from) the brain.  An Osteopath should be able to help with this, as Osteopathy should be able to help to reduce muscle tension in the neck and shoulders, and osteopathic manipulation to the neck may be helpful.

Vertigo can be more severe than dizziness, and is characterised by the sensation that you, or the environment around you, is moving or spinning.

One cause of dizziness or vertigo is known as Benign positional paroximal vertigo (BPPV).

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) a common cause of vertigo, especially in the elderly, is triggered by particular changes in head position, such as moving the head up or down. It's not usually that serious, unless it increases the risk of falling, which may be of some concern for older people.  People with BPPV experience a sense of dizziness, a spinning sensation (vertigo), lightheadedness, unsteadiness, loss of balance and nausea, although this may not last long, often less than one minute.

If you think that this may be the primary cause of your dizziness,  please see the following page: vertigo, BPPV.

BPPV can also result from a head injury, even a minor one.  BPPV can also be very common in older people.

 

 

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