Dizziness Causes and Symptoms

If you feel lightheaded and dizzy, you can’t help but wonder if you have a medical emergency. Sometimes, dizziness is due to low blood sugar, dehydration or another problem you can manage at home. However, your dizzy spells could be a sign of a more serious problem, meaning you will need to consult with your primary care physician or go to the emergency room.

What Causes Dizziness?

First, you probably want the answer to the question, “Why do I feel dizzy?” Dizziness has a myriad of causes, including:

  • Dehydration
  • Low blood sugar
  • Low blood pressure
  • Certain medications
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Ear issues
  • Vertigo 
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Vision problems
  • Chemical exposure
  • Drug and alcohol use
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke

As you can see, dizzy spells can be caused by minor issues as well as serious conditions. Thus, you’ll need to monitor your symptoms to see if you should go to the ER, call your physician or manage the problem at home.

Go to the ER If Your Dizzy Spells Include These Symptoms

If you feel dizzy but don’t experience any other symptoms, consult with your primary care provider. Your doctor might want to run diagnostic tests to determine the cause. 

However, you need to rush to the emergency room if you also experience:

  • Severe headache with sudden onset
  • Chest discomfort
  • Breathing problems
  • Faintness
  • Confusion
  • Slurred speech
  • Facial numbness and weakness
  • Hearing changes
  • Vision impairment 
  • Racing heart
  • Seizures

Diagnosing Dizziness

Because there are so many possibilities, the ER staff will need to run various tests to diagnose the problem. Often, physicians use MRIs and CT scans to rule out strokes, heart attacks, and injuries. Head and eye movement tests, posturography, blood tests and other tools are also used to find the cause.

Your treatment plan is dependent on the reason you feel lightheaded and dizzy. The team at Riverview Health Emergency Room & Urgent Care will go over the plan with you. Then you might need to receive follow-up care from your physician or specialist.

While it’s normal to feel a bit lightheaded or out-of-sorts from time to time, it’s important to be mindful of other symptoms. Symptoms such as chest pains and a rapid heartbeat could indicate that something else is wrong. If you have severe symptoms, call 911 or visit Riverview Health Emergency Room & Urgent Care. Fast treatment won’t just allow you to feel better quickly. It will also help you prevent serious complications.

Riverview Health Emergency Room & Urgent Care now has five locations open in Carmel, Fishers, West Carmel/Zionsville, Westfield Hospital and Noblesville Hospital.