why do i feel so dizzy

Dizziness is often caused by something fairly common, like dehydration, getting up too fast, low blood sugar, a side effect of medicine, or an inner- ear issue. It can also happen with migraine, anxiety, heat exhaustion, or an illness, and the pattern of symptoms helps narrow it down.

What to do now

• Sit or lie down right away.
• Drink water slowly.
• Eat something if you haven’t eaten in a while.
• Get up slowly and avoid driving until it passes.
• If you started a new medicine recently, consider whether it could be related.

Get urgent help now

Seek urgent care right away if dizziness comes with:

• chest pain.
• trouble breathing.
• fainting or collapsing.
• weakness, numbness, slurred speech, double vision, or severe headache.
• trouble walking or a new change in hearing or vision.

When to get checked

If it keeps coming back, lasts more than a short time, or you’re worried, a clinician should help figure out the cause. Recurrent dizziness is not something to ignore, even when it seems mild.

A useful first clue is whether it feels like lightheadedness or like the room is spinning. Lightheadedness often points to dehydration, blood pressure changes, or low blood sugar, while spinning is more like vertigo and often involves the inner ear.