You might also experience an irregular heart rate, which may or may not cause chest pain. Get help if you’re dizzy and your heart is beating out of sync.
Other symptoms of a stroke include your face, arms, or legs feeling numb and difficulty walking.
Get checked out if your dizziness doesn’t go away after you have water and sit down for a while. “Normal” dizziness should be short-lived and resolve on its own.
If you consistently have low blood pressure (under 100 on top and/or 60 on the bottom) and always have, don’t worry – some people are just made that way.
Dizziness in the elderly increases the risk of falls, and should be treated to prevent complications of falling.
Sudden onset of dizziness can be caused by low blood sugar and metabolic disturbances such as hypoxia, hypocarbia, and hypercarbia. Chronic dizziness might be related to Meniere’s disease, cerebral insufficiency, cardiovascular or neurologic illness such as multiple sclerosis, blood loss and severe anemia. Lightheadedness may be related to anxiety, depression and other psychiatric problems. Panic attacks frequently are accompanied by feelings of lightheadedness or dizziness. Medications for these conditions, such as tranquilizers and antidepressants, can also contribute to dizziness.
