{"id":96860,"date":"2016-07-22T10:49:04","date_gmt":"2016-07-22T10:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/6-signs-a-sudden-dizzy-spell-could-be-harmful\/"},"modified":"2016-07-22T10:49:04","modified_gmt":"2016-07-22T10:49:04","slug":"6-signs-a-sudden-dizzy-spell-could-be-harmful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/6-signs-a-sudden-dizzy-spell-could-be-harmful\/","title":{"rendered":"6 signs a sudden dizzy spell could be harmful"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve ever felt dizzy, lightheaded, or like your head is spinning, congratulations: You\u2019re a normal human being. We used to spin because dizziness seemed fun (ah, the good ol\u2019 days), but not so much once adulthood rolled around.<\/p>\n<p>There are so many things that could make you dizzy\u2013like medications and dehydration\u2014and most of them are minor and nothing to worry about, Catherine Cho, M.D., clinical associate professor in the departments of neurology and otolaryngology at NYU Langone Medical Center, tells SELF.<\/p>\n<p>In some situations, though, dizziness can be a sign of something more serious. Here is how to tell the difference between a minor spell of the spins and when it\u2019s time to consult a neurologist to figure out what\u2019s making you so faint.<\/p>\n<p><b>1. Your dizzy spells are frequent or last longer than a few minutes.<\/b><\/p>\n<section class=\"sponsor-partner mod-25\">\n<h2>More From SELF<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"article-ct\">\n<article>\n<h3>Here\u2019s How Many Calories You Should Be Eating For Weight Loss<\/h3>\n<p>\t\t\t\t                \t\t\t\t<span class=\"type type-article\" \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t            \t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-ct\">\n<article>\n<h3>8 Sneaky Ways To Debloat In Just One Day<\/h3>\n<p>\t\t\t\t                \t\t\t\t<span class=\"type type-article\" \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t            \t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-ct\">\n<article>\n<h3>The Easiest Way (Ever!) To Find Out If You\u2019d Look Good With Short Hair<\/h3>\n<p>\t\t\t\t                \t\t\t\t<span class=\"type type-article\" \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t            \t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-ct\">\n<article>\n<h3>7 Completely Doable Tips for Your Best At-Home Blowout Ever<\/h3>\n<p>\t\t\t\t                \t\t\t\t<span class=\"type type-article\" \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t            \t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>A common condition called vertigo causes an \u201cillusion of movement,\u201d Cho explains. It\u2019s caused by a disconnect between your ears and your brain, which results in a spinning sensation. Brief episodes can be triggered, most commonly, by rapid change in head movement, according to the Mayo Clinic. In most cases, especially in younger patients, the condition will resolve on its own, Cho says. But if you have it constantly, episodes that last hours at a time, or it\u2019s accompanied by ringing in the ears or hearing loss, it could be a sign of a more serious ear disorder or undiagnosed migraines.<\/p>\n<p><b>2. You\u2019re also experiencing symptoms like numbness, weakness, speech problems, clumsiness, or vision problems.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Vertigo can actually be a sign of a stroke. If you feel a spinning-dizzy sensation that hits suddenly and also experience any other symptoms of stroke at the same time (for instance, weakness especially on one side of the body, sudden severe headache, or trouble speaking, seeing, or walking), you should see a doctor to rule it out. Cho urges a visit to the emergency room where doctors can do a quick check to make sure. Some other neurological conditions (like multiple sclerosis) can cause similar symptoms\u2014they may not be as life-threatening, but it\u2019s important to get them diagnosed so you can treat them.<\/p>\n<p><b>3. You feel dizzy when you stand up.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Orthostatic hypotension\u2014low blood pressure that happens when you stand up\u2014can make you feel faint, but is usually nothing to worry about. The most likely cause is dehydration. \u201cEspecially in the summer months, people forget to drink more. You don\u2019t have to be dripping sweat to become dehydrated,\u201d Cho says. If loading up on H2O doesn\u2019t stop these dizzy spells, there are some other disorders that could be causing low blood pressure or poor circulation, leading to dizziness. Cardiovascular disease (arrhythmias or congestive heart failure), and conditions that are most typical in diabetics\u2014such as neuropathy (nerve damage) or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)\u2014can all cause this dizzy or lightheaded sensation.<\/p>\n<p><b>4. You have a history of migraines.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>If your dizziness feels like your head is spinning (not the room), it could mean you\u2019re suffering from migraines without knowing it, Cho says. Some people don\u2019t realize their headaches are actually migraines if they don\u2019t also see flashing lights or auras\u2014but those symptoms are not always necessary.<\/p>\n<p><b>5. You recently hit your head.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Cho says that you can also experience dizzy spells after getting a concussion. If you hit your head and never got it checked out, but sometimes feel like your head gets a little spinny, there\u2019s a chance that bump did more than you thought.<\/p>\n<p><b>6. You get dizzy during your workouts.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>In this case, dehydration is the most likely culprit. It may not seem like a big deal, but if you\u2019re constantly feeling this way during physical activity, focus on hydrating more to see if the problem stops; getting dizzy in the gym or out on a run is a good way to fall and injure yourself. Though not as common, exercise so intense that you\u2019re gasping for air can cause hyperventilation, rapid breathing that causes carbon dioxide levels in the blood to drop, resulting in lightheadedness.<\/p>\n<p><b>Bottom line: <\/b>If a dizzy spell is so bad you can\u2019t function, it\u2019s worth seeing a doctor, even if it only happens once. As for those times every now and then that you get dizzy or lightheaded and it goes away? Stop worrying, and take a few slugs from your water bottle instead.<\/p>\n<p><i \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve ever felt dizzy, lightheaded, or like your head is spinning, congratulations: You\u2019re a normal human being. We used to spin because dizziness seemed fun (ah, the good ol\u2019 days), but not so much once adulthood rolled around. There are so many things that could make you dizzy\u2013like medications and dehydration\u2014and most of them <a class=\"read-more-link\" href=\"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/6-signs-a-sudden-dizzy-spell-could-be-harmful\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96860\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}