When Should I Call The Doctor For Dizziness
Dizziness is a common complaint and often has resolved by the time the patient arrives to see a health care professional. Usually there is no rush to seek care. However, while the complaint of dizziness is not often an emergency, seek care immediately if it is accompanied by any of the following:
- Chest pain, shortness of breath, or palpitations. These symptoms should not be ignored, as they suggest the heart may be the source of the dizziness.
- Dehydration. Often there may be an associated illness including fever, vomiting, or diarrhea.
- People with diabetes may have dizziness due to low blood sugar or high blood sugar , and may need emergent care to stabilize their insulin and medication requirements.
- Bleeding from any source.
- Altered mental status or thinking. This may include symptoms such as confusion, change in vision, change in speech, facial droop, weakness of one side of the body, or headache. These may be signs of stroke, bleeding in the brain, or tumor.
- FAST warning signs of a stroke:
- Face — facial droop
- Arm — arm or leg weakness
- Speech — difficulty speaking or understanding speech
- Time — time is of the essence. Call 911.
How Can I Prevent Hypoglycemic Episodes
The key to preventing hypoglycemic events is managing diabetes:
- Follow your healthcare providers instructions about food and exercise.
- Track your blood sugar regularly, including before and after meals, before and after exercise and before bed.
- Take all your medications exactly as prescribed.
- When you do have a hypoglycemic event, write it down. Include details such as the time, what you ate recently, whether you exercised, the symptoms and your glucose level.
What Are The Symptoms Experienced When A Person Feels Dizzy
- Lightheadedness is the feeling of weakness and faintness as if you are about to pass out. The symptoms tend to be short-lived, depending on the cause. There may be associated nausea, sweating, and blurred vision.
- If the cause is dehydration or bleeding, the symptoms may worsen by standing quickly and may resolve somewhat by lying down
- Heart rhythm disturbances may occur without warning and may be associated with palpitations. This may come and go or it may persist. The heartbeat may be felt as too fast , too slow, and/or irregular.
- Vertigo is the sensation of spinning and may present without warning and be associated with nausea and vomiting. People with inner ear problems may be debilitated and unable to move without generating symptoms.
- People with a cerebellar cause of vertigo such as a stroke or tumor may have associated coordination problems or difficulty walking, and other signs of stroke.
Also Check: What Vitamin Deficiency Causes Sugar Cravings
What Can I Do To Fix This And Get Healthy Again
With some minor life-style changes, you can see and feel big improvements quickly. Here are some things you should focus on:
- Lose Unwanted FatThis may not be fun, but its very important and its the first step in keeping your glucose in check.
- Eat Better Natural FoodsThis means lower glycemic foods, less carbohydrates, healthy proteins and fats. It also means to stay AWAY from processed, man-made foods. Also, make sure you eat often smaller meals throughout the day to stabilize your blood sugar and have lots of fiber as well.
- Exercise Daily Aerobic & AnaerobicExercise utilizes the carbohydrates you eat, so it keeps your blood sugar stable. Having more muscle also improves insulin sensitivity, which means less insulin is needed.
- Proper SupplementationThere are specific natural herbs, vitamins and minerals that can help stabilize your blood sugar, while also improving insulin sensitivity.
Simply making some small adjustments in each of these categories will mean fast results for you. Which means more energy, less body fat, better cognition and youâll simply look and feel YOUNGER!
Recommended Reading: What Are The Effects Of High Sugar Levels
What Should You Do If You Are Feeling Dizzy
If you have diabetes and you feel dizzy, there is only one way to know if your blood glucose levels are the cause of your symptoms.
You must check your blood glucose levels.
The quickest way to do so is to use a meter. Checking your blood glucose levels will let you know in 3 to 10 seconds if youre in a danger zone. And if your level is normal, well youve ruled out hypo- or hyperglycemia as a cause of your symptoms.
It May Be Time to See Your Doctor
So when diabetes dizziness strikes, it might be time to visit your health care provider to make sure you are managing your blood glucose levels effectively and avoid developing any serious complications. Especially if it seems you have felt lightheaded more frequently and you cant attribute it to a hot room or too much Champagne.
It might be that you just need to adjust your diet, lifestyle or medications slightly, but its always worth reporting any changes in your condition to your doctor as its usually easier to correct all of these complications earlier rather than later.
Related Topics :
Don’t Miss: Reduce Sugar Level Immediately
Low Blood Sugar: The 1: 15 Rule
Doctors may recommend that people with low blood sugar follow the 15:15 rule. The ADA explains that a person can take 15 grams of carbohydrates and then check their blood sugar levels 15 minutes afterward. If blood sugar is still low, they should take another 15 g.
People can repeat this until their levels are within a normal range. Examples of carbohydrates that can raise low blood sugar efficiently include:
- glucose tablets or glucose gel, which a person should take according to the instructions on the label
- a half cup of juice or non-diet soda
- 1 tablespoon of sugar, honey, or corn syrup
- hard candies, such as jelly beans or gumdrops
It is important to avoid using complex carbohydrates to treat low blood sugar in an emergency, as these can slow down the time it takes for the body to absorb glucose. The same applies to carbohydrates with fat, such as chocolate.
Once blood sugar levels have returned to a healthy level, a person can eat a healthy snack to prevent their levels from dropping again.
Carbohydrate levels may vary for each individual, and children will need less than 15 g to treat low blood sugar. People can discuss a specific treatment strategy for low blood sugar with a doctor.
Low Blood Pressure As A Cause Of Dizziness
Dizziness, lightheadedness, and the feeling of passing out is a common complaint in people who have low blood pressure. When the blood pressure is too low, not enough oxygen-rich blood is delivered to the brain, and its function can be affected. If the brain’s blood supply is decreased too much, the person may pass out . Symptoms may worsen when changing position from lying down or sitting to standing up.
In addition to feeling dizzy, associated symptoms may include:
In individuals who are dehydrated or anemic, blood pressure readings may be normal when they are lying flat however, the lack of fluid is unmasked when they stand up quickly. The lack of blood to the brain may cause dizziness and lightheadedness. This feeling may pass in a few seconds as the body adapts. However, if dehydration or medications prevent the body from reacting by constricting blood vessels and increasing the heart rate, the dizziness may persist to the point at which the patient passes out .
Some diseases are associated with an inability to compensate for changes in body position . Normally when a person stands, blood vessels contract to increase blood pressure slightly, and the heart rate also increases slightly, to pump blood uphill to the brain against gravity. In autonomic dysfunction, a person may become dizzy when they move from a lying position to sitting or standing up. Examples of these diseases with this syndrome include diabetes, Addison’s disease, or Parkinson’s disease.
Recommended Reading: How To Come Sugar Disease
What Is The Outlook For People With Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia can be managed when you and your healthcare provider understand what causes your blood sugar to go down. Give your healthcare provider as much information as possible about any hypoglycemic episodes. Fixing the problem may be as simple as changing the times you take medication, eat and exercise. Minor changes to the types of food you eat may also help.
Preventing A Low Blood Sugar Level
If you have diabetes, you can reduce your chance of getting a low blood sugar level if you:
- Check your blood sugar level regularly and be aware of the symptoms of a low blood sugar level so you can treat it quickly.
- Always carry a sugary snack or drink with you, such as glucose tablets, a carton of fruit juice or some sweets. If you have a glucagon injection kit, always keep it with you.
- Do not skip meals.
- Be careful when drinking alcohol. Do not drink large amounts, check your blood sugar level regularly, and eat a carbohydrate snack afterwards.
- Be careful when exercising eating a carbohydrate snack before exercise can help to reduce the risk of a hypo. If you take some types of diabetes medicine, your doctor may recommend you take a lower dose before or after doing intense exercise.
- Have a carbohydrate snack, such as toast, if your blood sugar level drops too low while you’re asleep
If you keep getting a low blood sugar level, talk to your diabetes care team about things you can do to help prevent it.
You May Like: Can We Control Sugar Without Medicine
You Feel Confused And Out Of Sorts
With hypoglycemia, all of your cells hunger for fuel, including your brain, says Kathleen Wyne, M.D., Ph.D, director of the Ohio State University Adult Type 1 Diabetes Program in Columbus. As a result, you may feel spacey and confused, and you may have trouble communicating. With diabetes, ask friends and family to generally stay alert and ask, Hey, are you struggling to talk right now? advises Janet G. Zappe, R.N., a clinical program manager for the Diabetes Research Center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Early Signs And Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which your body doesnât make enough of a hormone called insulin or doesnât use insulin the way it should. Insulin helps carry glucose to your cells. So when thereâs a problem with the insulin, glucose builds up in your blood. Youâve probably heard this called high blood sugar.
About 90% of people who have diabetes have type 2. The other two main ones are type 1, in which your body stops making insulin, and gestational, which happens in pregnant women.
You can usually control type 2 diabetes with lifestyle changes. Some people also need medication.
You might not know that you have type 2 diabetes until it affects your health. About 1 in 4 people with the condition donât know that they have it.
Symptoms can come on slowly. They may include:
Read Also: How To Reduce High Sugar Level Immediately
Nutritional Solutions To Avoid High Blood Sugar
Dr. Doyle says, The solution is to drink plenty of fluids and to keep your blood sugar down in the first place!
And the absolute most effective way to do that is to adopt a whole food plant based diet.
This is a diet based on vegetables, fruits, whole unprocessed grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, with minimal animal products and processed foods or sugars.
What Causes Dizziness
Why am I having dizzy spells?
Dizziness is a painless head discomfort with many possible causes including disturbances of vision, the brain, balance system of the inner ear, and gastrointestinal system. Dizziness is a medically indistinct term which laypersons use to describe a variety of conditions such as lightheadedness, unsteadiness, and vertigo.
While classifying dizziness into lightheadedness and vertigo categories may help understand how the body works, sometimes it is worthwhile to review common reasons why people might complain of dizziness.
Don’t Miss: How To Bring Down Sugar Level Quickly
What Is Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is an abnormally low level of blood sugar . Because the brain depends on blood sugar as its primary source of energy, hypoglycemia interferes with the brain’s ability to function properly. This can cause dizziness, headache, blurred vision, difficulty concentrating and other neurological symptoms.
Hypoglycemia also triggers the release of body hormones, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine. Your brain relies on these hormones to raise blood sugar levels. The release of these hormones causes additional symptoms of tremor, sweating, rapid heartbeat, anxiety and hunger.
Hypoglycemia is most common in people with diabetes. For a person with diabetes, hypoglycemia occurs because of too high a dose of diabetic medication, especially insulin, or a change in diet or exercise. Insulin and exercise both lower blood sugar and food raises it. Hypoglycemia is common in people who are taking insulin or oral medications that lower blood glucose, especially drugs in the sulfonylurea group .
True hypoglycemia with laboratory reports of low blood sugar rarely occurs in people who do not have diabetes. When it does occur outside of diabetes, hypoglycemia can be caused by many different medical problems. A partial list includes:
How Is It Treated
If you often have symptoms of hypoglycemia, you should see your healthcare provider. Your provider can help you determine the cause. Your provider will also give you guidelines for treating low blood sugar when you are having symptoms.
When you see your provider, be sure to take your notebook or glucose meter with all of the results of your recent blood sugar checks. This helps your provider know whether you are on the right medicines and are taking the right dose at the right time of day. Without this record, it is harder for your provider to help you figure out the cause of your symptoms.
Here are some examples of guidelines your provider may give you:
- If you have diabetes and you think your blood sugar may be too low, check it with your home meter before treatment, if possible.
- Always carry some form of sugar you can eat as soon as you have any symptoms of hypoglycemia. The following amounts and types of foods will bring your blood sugar level up:
- 2 to 5 glucose tablets
- 1/2 cup fruit juice
- 6 to 8 ounces of skim milk
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup of raisins
- 5 to 7 pieces of hard candy like Lifesavers
- a tube of glucose in gel form
- 1 tablespoon of molasses, corn syrup, or honey
Also Check: How Lower Your Blood Sugar Fast
Read Also: How To Reduce Sugar Level Immediately
You’re Extra Irritated And Angry
Is your level of frustration a 20 out of 10? Angry and anxious for no obvious reason? It could be hypoglycemia. The most common mood changes are being belligerent and argumentative, says Dr. Wyne. Or it could be more subtle in just refusing to discuss something or not agreeing to something that is normally acceptable to you, she says. If your partner tells you youre crankier than usual, take note. Personality changes like Bettys a major sign of hypoglycemia, agrees Zappe.
Vasovagal Syncope As A Cause Of Dizziness
Vasovagal syncope is a common cause of dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting. The vagus nerve is overstimulated and causes the body’s blood vessels to dilate and the heart to slow down. This anti-adrenaline effect decreases the ability of the heart to pump blood upward toward the brain. Without blood flow, the brain turns off. In Victorian England, young ladies’ sensibilities were easily offended causing a vasovagal episode called a swoon.
Some people faint at the sight of blood. Some parents faint when their child gets immunized. Some medical students faint at their first autopsy. Many types of emotional and physical stressors can overstimulate the vagus nerve, causing dizziness, lightheadedness, and at times fainting .
Fainting is not normal. If a person is unconscious, activate the emergency medical system , and seek medical care.
Read Also: Sugar In Low Blood Pressure
Complications Of Type 2 Diabetes
Itâs important to get your blood sugar under control to avoid these serious conditions:
- Hypoglycemia. If your blood sugar falls below 70 milligrams per deciliter , it can lead to accidents, coma, and death.
- Hyperglycemia. Blood sugar that goes above 180 to 200 mg/dL can give you heart, nerve, kidney, and vision problems. Over the long term, it also can cause coma and death.
Over time, people with type 2 diabetes may have other health problems:
- Diabetic ketoacidosis. When you donât have enough insulin in your system, your blood sugar rises, and your body breaks down fat for energy. Toxic acids called ketones build up and spill into your urine. It can cause coma and death if you donât treat it.
- Heartand blood vessel diseases. People with diabetes are more likely to have conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which play a role in heart disease. Also, high blood sugar can damage your blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart.
- High blood pressure. Diabetes doubles your risk of high blood pressure, which makes you more likely to have heart disease or stroke.
- Nerve damage . This can cause tingling and numbness, most often in your feet and legs. But it can also affect your digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels, and heart.
- Eyedamage. Diabetes can cause:
- Glaucoma, a buildup of pressure in your eyes
- Cataracts, a cloudiness of your lens
- Retinopathy, which is damage to the blood vessels in your eyes