Slight Dizziness : Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

Last Updated: 18/08/2022

Mild dizziness can occur under the influence of physiological factors: a strict diet, excessive exercise, lack of sleep. It is detected during pregnancy and menopause, with prolonged use of certain drugs, VVD, cervical osteochondrosis, anemia, hypotension, hypothyroidism, atherosclerosis, neurotic disorders. Develops during acute infections. The cause is determined according to the survey, external examination, the results of imaging techniques and laboratory tests. Treatment includes correction of diet and daily regimen, physiotherapy, drug therapy. Operations are rarely shown.

general characteristics

Mild dizziness is manifested by a feeling of instability, disturbances in spatial orientation, a sense of rotation or displacement of surrounding objects or the patient's body. The symptoms are mild. As a rule, it has a non-systemic character. Stored for a long time. Often associated with weakness, palpitations, increased sweating.

Why does mild dizziness occur?

Physiological causes

Due to nutritional deficiencies and reduced glucose levels, mild, undulating dizziness can occur in strict dieters. In the spring months, the condition often occurs in women who are trying to quickly lose weight by the summer through dietary restrictions and active physical education. Fatigue of the body after the winter and unusual physical activity can provoke dizziness even with moderate dietary restrictions.

Light dizziness is often detected in people suffering from chronic overwork (physical, emotional, intellectual). In the pre-session period and during the session, the symptom sometimes occurs in students. Unpleasant sensations may accompany a period of adaptation to a new job with unusual loads or burnout during constant overwork, a long absence of vacation.

Another reason for this disorder is lack of sleep. The symptom is detected in people with insomnia and shift work at night, found in women on maternity leave to care for a child. Sometimes constant dizziness is provoked by hypoxia due to insufficient ventilation of domestic and industrial premises.

Pregnancy, menopause

Mild dizziness is considered a frequent companion of pregnancy. It develops due to changes in the level of hormones in the blood, insufficient adaptation of the body to new conditions, redistribution of blood, increased tone of the vagus nerve. Another possible cause of the symptom in women is the period of menopause. Dizziness appears against the background of vegetovascular and psycho-emotional disorders, instability of blood pressure.

slight dizziness

 

Vegetative-vascular dystonia

The symptomatology is varied and quite variable. Constant weak dizziness can be combined with short-term intense. Complemented by other paroxysmal conditions: fainting, PA. Common manifestations of VVD are tachycardia, a feeling of lack of air, chilliness or, conversely, a feeling of heat, weakness, fatigue, headaches, and sleep disturbances.

Cervical osteochondrosis

Dizziness in cervical osteochondrosis is associated with compression of the vertebral artery, which provides blood circulation in the vertebrobasilar basin. With minor disorders caused by bone growths, reactive inflammation and compensatory muscle tension, the symptom is weak, constant. With sharp turns of the head, during the period of exacerbation of dizziness may increase.

Anemia

Mild dizziness is characteristic of mild or moderate iron deficiency anemia. Complemented by pallor and dryness of the skin, drowsiness, decreased performance, tinnitus, shortness of breath, palpitations during physical exertion, high sensitivity to cold. Possible fainting. Similar symptoms during the recovery period are observed in patients with posthemorrhagic anemia.

Arterial hypotension

Occurs after injuries, against the background of neurocirculatory dystonia, chronic somatic diseases, hypovitaminosis. Accompanied by drowsiness, weakness, apathy, increased fatigue, tachycardia, hyperhidrosis, memory impairment, emotional instability. With a long course of arterial hypotension in women, the menstrual cycle is disturbed, in men potency decreases. Light dizziness can be supplemented by pre-syncope when changing body position (orthostatic hypotension).

endocrine disorders

Mild dizziness in hypothyroidism is caused by a decrease in blood pressure, combined with signs of a slowdown in other physiological and psychological processes: weakness, drowsiness, lethargy, bradycardia, weight gain, fluid retention in tissues with the development of characteristic edema.

In patients with diabetes, along with dizziness, constant thirst, dry mouth, increased urination, increased urine output, increased appetite, delayed wound healing, and frequent pustular infections are detected. With the development of hypoglycemia due to an overdose of insulin, eating disorders or alcohol intake, dizziness quickly increases, is replaced by fainting, coma.

Cerebral atherosclerosis

Periodic weak dizziness occurs already at the initial stage of the disease. With the progression of atherosclerosis, they become permanent. There are headaches, noise in the head, memory impairment, psycho-emotional disorders. Anxiety, suspiciousness, depressive disorders, deterioration of vision and hearing, blurred speech are possible.

Acute infections

Light dizziness often accompanies acute infectious diseases: SARS, food poisoning, tonsillitis, coronavirus infection, etc. The symptom occurs against the background of intoxication, general hyperthermia, weakness, fatigue, muscle pain. With respiratory infections, catarrhal phenomena are observed, with intestinal infections, nausea, vomiting, and stool disorders.

Neurotic disorders

Prolonged mild dizziness is most characteristic of neurasthenia, but can also be observed in other disorders of the neurotic spectrum, especially anxiety and dissociative disorders. Dizziness is detected within the autonomic symptom complex, which also includes tachycardia, fluctuations in blood pressure, a feeling of lack of air, muscle twitching, and dyspeptic disorders. Affective disturbances include melancholy, sadness, hopelessness, low mood background.

Medication

Mild dizziness is a side effect of certain medications or occurs as a result of long-term use. The symptom can be provoked by the following drugs:

  • Sedatives : tranquilizers, barbiturates.
  • Depressing vestibular function : antihistamines and anticholinergics, benzodiazepines.
  • Ototoxic : aminoglycosides, NSAIDs.
  • Causing hypotension : diuretics, vasodilators, blockers, calcium channel blockers, tricyclic antidepressants.
  • Provoking hypoglycemia : antidiabetic, monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

Diagnostics

The doctor-therapist is engaged in determination of the reason of easy dizziness. If necessary, psychiatrists, neurologists, endocrinologists are involved in the examination. During the interview, the specialist establishes the time of occurrence of the symptom and the accompanying circumstances. Identifies living conditions, features of the daily routine and other factors that can provoke physiological disorders. Determines the presence of diagnosed somatic pathologies.

On examination, the doctor pays attention to external changes that may indicate the nature of the disease that causes dizziness, for example, pallor and dry skin with anemia or swelling with hypothyroidism. The examination plan is drawn up taking into account the alleged cause of the symptom, may include:

  • visualization techniques . With osteochondrosis, radiography and CT of the cervical spine are informative. Patients with atherosclerosis are shown ultrasound or MRI of the cerebral vessels. Sonography helps to assess the state of the thyroid gland in patients with hypothyroidism. In addition, ultrasound and radiation diagnostic methods are used to exclude other pathologies in VVD and arterial hypotension.
  • Electrophysiological Research . ECG is a screening diagnostic method that allows you to detect arrhythmias, hypokalemia, ischemia and organic changes in the myocardium. It is carried out as part of the differential diagnosis, to determine the causes of secondary hypotension. EEG is included in the basic examination program for dizziness, makes it possible to detect disorders of the central nervous system.
  • Laboratory tests . Anemia is confirmed by the results of a clinical blood test. In diabetes, glucose levels are measured. To assess the severity of hypothyroidism, a study on thyroid hormones is prescribed. To identify viruses that cause acute infections, PCR and ELISA are performed.

Neurological examination

 

Treatment

Conservative therapy

Light dizziness caused by physiological factors is eliminated by normalizing the diet, daily routine, reducing the load level, and ensuring sufficient ventilation in the premises. To normalize the condition of women during menopause, hormone replacement therapy is carried out, antidepressants are prescribed.

With dizziness provoked by taking medications, dose adjustment, drug withdrawal or replacement is carried out. Therapeutic tactics for other pathologies is determined by the nature of the disease:

  • VSD . The most important role is played by non-drug measures: correction of the regime of work and rest, elimination of hypodynamia and excessive emotional influences, psychotherapy, physiotherapy. With insufficient effectiveness, tranquilizers, antidepressants, nootropics, sedatives are used.
  • Cerebral atherosclerosis . A special diet, regular movement, exclusion of smoking and drinking alcohol are necessary. Drug correction of hyperlipidemia is carried out. Antiplatelet agents, vascular agents, B vitamins, nootropics are used.
  • Arterial hypotension . Requires treatment of the underlying disease. Therapeutic and recreational activities include massage, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, exercise therapy. Plant adaptogens, cerebroprotectors, antioxidants, antidepressants are effective.
  • Cervical osteochondrosis . During periods of exacerbations, wearing a Shants collar is shown. As part of drug therapy, NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, and painkillers are used.
  • Endocrine diseases . Patients with diabetes mellitus with mild dizziness need to adjust their diet, insulin therapy regimens, or treatment with hypoglycemic drugs. Hypothyroidism requires replacement therapy with levothyroxine.

With iron deficiency anemia, a full-fledged diet with a high content of heme iron, the intake of iron-containing products are recommended. Patients with neurotic disorders undergo psychotherapy, prescribe antidepressants and tranquilizers.

Surgery

Operative treatment for mild dizziness is rarely required. Patients with atherosclerosis with severe occlusion of the carotid arteries, repeated TIA are indicated for carotid endarterectomy or the formation of vascular shunts. For patients with osteochondrosis, surgical interventions are recommended for severe spinal cord compression, including decompression of the spinal canal, classical and minimally invasive methods of disc herniation removal, and stabilization of the spinal segment.

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