Hello Diana, I’m in my late 50’s and just a bit worried because I keep experiencing dizzy attacks. What might be causing these and should I be worried?
Jenny Farrow…Taunton
Dizziness means different things to different people with feelings of off balance, spinning or light headedness. It occurs when the brain receives conflicting messages from your inner ears or eyes, like moving your head suddenly or when you drink too much alcohol. Dizziness on fairground rides, car and air travel, or boats on rough seas is usually temporary, disappearing when you get your balance back.
Other causes are migraine, stress, anxiety, or low blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. It could be dehydration or a sudden fall in blood pressure when you suddenly stand up, which goes away after lying down. More common in older people. Keep a note of your repeated episodes of dizziness, when you experience them and their duration.
An infection of the middle ear called labyrinthitis causes a severe dizziness, called vertigo.
I recently experienced dizziness caused by an ear condition and found out how to distinguish between ear-related dizziness and dizziness due to other causes. Dizziness when you’re upright is probably not related to the ear, but dizziness when lying down is usually caused by a viral ear infection. If you’ve other symptoms such as fainting, nausea, blurred vision, hearing loss or tinnitus talk to your GP.