Over thirty percent of us over 65 report experiencing imbalance, dizziness, or blackouts. And once we reach 65, these are the most frequent reasons to see the doctor. They also contribute significantly to falls. So, are there any ways to reduce dizziness or anything you can do to assist yourself in getting over your lightheadedness or vertigo?
How much fun did it used to be to run in circles until you felt lightheaded as a child? It turns out that being lightheaded isn’t quite as enjoyable as it once was as an adult, particularly if it interferes with your other interests. Fortunately, vertigo is often quite manageable. Early treatment is essential to preventing serious health and life-threatening conditions.
How To Stop Feeling Dizzy
1. Check Blood Pressure
As we age, postural hypotension, also known as orthostatic hypotension, or the drop in blood pressure that occurs when you quickly stand up or sit up becomes more common. It has been connected to cardiac issues, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cognitive decline (difficulties with focus, memory, and attention), falls, and a worse quality of life. Taking many drugs may be the cause.
Ways to proceed if you believe you are impacted? If your blood pressure is low, check it and schedule a visit with your doctor. If you have a BP monitor, you can do this on your own. A blood pressure measurement of 90/60 mmHg or below is considered low. Practically speaking, spend some time sitting or standing up and holding onto anything. One of the ways to reduce dizziness is to ensure your BP is not behind it.
2. Stay Hydrated
Dehydration is a frequent cause of dizziness that may be exacerbated by changes in body composition, drugs, illnesses, impaired renal function, and dulled thirst.
Try to have five glasses of eight ounces of water a day. Tap water is acceptable, but if you don’t like the flavor, routinely fill your glass or bottle with fresh water from a water filter jug you keep in your refrigerator. To spice things up, add a sprig of mint or lemon grass, or a slice of orange, lemon, lime, or ginger.
3. Eat Bananas
Why are bananas an answer to how to reduce dizziness? To restore blood glucose levels, which are low and might make you feel lightheaded. Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is particularly dangerous for those who have diabetes.
A piece of bread with spread, fruit juice, a few cookies, ice cream, or a glass of milk with honey are some more tasty quick pick-me-ups. See your doctor or diabetic nurse if you have diabetes and often suffer periods of lightheadedness, sweating, and disorientation. Your medication may need to be adjusted.
4. Don’t Take Alcohol And Caffeine
Caffeine and alcohol may both exacerbate vertigo. This is because these compounds ultimately narrow your blood vessels, disrupting regular blood flow, particularly to your brain.
The quantity of oxygen your brain gets diminishes when circulation to it even slightly lowers. This might thus result in changes in perception and dizziness, which can exacerbate your symptoms. Finally, dehydration is a potential cause of dizziness and may be exacerbated by alcohol and coffee.
5. Sleep
Getting a decent night’s sleep might become more difficult as we age. Furthermore, insufficient sleep might contribute to lightheadedness. To help yourself get more restorative sleep, concentrate on creating the ideal sleeping environment—what professionals refer to as “sleep hygiene.”
Avoiding drinking in the evening, relaxing before bed, keeping your bedroom cool, peaceful, and quiet, and putting your phone, tablet, and laptop away from the room are all recommended steps.
6. Check Your Medicines
Dizziness is a side effect of using many prescription and over-the-counter medications. Blood pressure drugs, diuretics, strong analgesics, some antibiotics, and even certain sleeping prescriptions are among the specific offenders.
Request a medication review from the physician or pharmacist. It is one of the essential ways to reduce dizziness.
7. Manage Stress
These days, stress appears to impact almost everyone, but some individuals are more vulnerable to its negative consequences, which include dizziness. Your brain releases hormones during times of stress that quicken your heartbeat, shallow your breathing, and narrow your blood vessels. Dizziness may result from all of these causes.
Try to include a few easy stress-relieving activities in your daily schedule, if at all possible. You may practice “square breathing,” a simple method, almost anywhere, even while you’re delayed in traffic. Exercise, yoga, meditation, journaling, and even a little alone time may all be beneficial.
8. Do A Blood Test
Ask your doctor to do a blood count if one hasn’t been done in a while. Lightheadedness may be caused by iron deficiency anemia.
Additional indicators include exhaustion, feebleness, headache, paleness or yellowing of the skin, palpitations, breathing difficulties, and chilly limbs. Iron may be found in dark, leafy greens, dried fruit like figs and apricots, lentils, kidney beans, liver, kidneys, and red meat.
9. Visit A Professional
If the above-mentioned methods don’t help to find ways to reduce dizziness, see your doctor or your health insurance company, or self-refer to a clinic for vestibular disorders or a physiotherapist who specializes in vestibular rehabilitation—the management and treatment of balance and vertigo issues.
Using targeted head, body, and eye exercises, vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) aims to retrain the brain to identify, interpret, and integrate vestibular system signals with information from your eyes and other senses.
Causes Of Dizziness
Vertigo may have a variety of reasons. Certain ones are not as severe as others. BPPV, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, is a frequently occurring cause of vertigo. It’s brought on by certain adjustments to your head’s alignment. Short bouts of moderate to severe dizziness may result from it; they are often brought on by head movements.
BPPV is often idiopathic, meaning that its origin is unknown. On the other hand, a blow to the head may trigger it. The Mayo Clinic claims that there is a connection between BPPV and migraines. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is one of the most frequent reasons for dizziness. Fatigue and lightheadedness may also be brought on by hypotension, or low blood pressure.
Furthermore, certain drugs may make you feel lightheaded. Blood pressure drugs, for instance, have the potential to reduce blood pressure too much and cause dizziness. A typical adverse effect of tranquilizers and sedatives is dizziness. Dizziness may also result from antidepressants and antiseizure medications. If you believe that any of your prescriptions are the cause of your dizziness, speak with your doctor.
Other typical reasons for lightheadedness include:
- Issues with the inner ear, such as infections or accumulation of fluid, may impair equilibrium.
- Circulation issues, such as inadequate blood flow hinder.
- Insufficient blood supply to the inner ear or brain.
- Dryness of the body.
- Overheating or suffering from heat stroke.
- Injury to the head or neck.
- A stroke.
There are various ways to reduce dizziness, explained above. The majority of the factors that might induce dizziness are not significant, and they either improve on their own in a short amount of time or are simple to cure.
FAQ
Q: How much time does it take to get over dizziness?
A: Without medical intervention, dizziness often improves. The body normally adjusts to whatever is causing it within a few weeks. Your doctor’s plan of care for you will be based on both your symptoms and the underlying cause of your illness. Exercises for balance and medicine may be part of it.
Q: When does dizziness become dangerous?
A: Call emergency services right away if you are experiencing vertigo or dizziness right now and any of the following neurological symptoms are also present: bewilderment or difficulty comprehending or speaking in public, hoarse voice or new slurred speech, fresh weakness or numbness in the arm, leg, or face.
Q: What alleviates dizziness?
A: Depending on the reason, dizziness may be treated in several ways. Medications include antihistamines, anticholinergics, and migraine remedies. Water consumption and more sleep may sometimes help. Dizziness is a sign of another problem rather than an illness or ailment in and of itself.
