Dizziness is the feeling of being unbalanced, disoriented, or out of sorts. Patients might feel like they’re about to faint, or that the room & the things around them are moving or spinning.
Sometimes, dizziness is also accompanied by feelings of nausea & vomiting, & in certain severe cases, can make performing daily chores difficult for patients.
Dizziness is not a medical condition on its own, rather always a symptom of some other underlying illness.
Thus, dizziness treatment almost always consists of your doctor figuring out the actual medical issue first, and then treating the symptoms through medications & therapy.
Dizziness is not a life-threatening problem; however, frequent dizzy spells can prove to be quite dangerous for patients in certain situations like driving, exercising, or running.
If you’ve been experiencing frequent, debilitating dizzy spells, then you should see a doctor. The doctor will be able to better diagnose the actual reasons behind your dizziness, & design effective dizziness treatment to help your condition.
Dizziness causes:-
Dizziness can have multiple causes. Some very well-known ones are listed below:
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
- Hypoglycemia
- Hypotension
- Side effects of certain medications
- Inner ear problems
- Blood circulation issues
- Certain pre-existing conditions like Anemia, Migraines, or Anxiety
- Stroke
- Motion Sickness through travelling
- Head Injuries
- Sometimes, common cold can also bring on bouts of dizziness
Depending on your exact diagnosis, your dizziness treatment will involve treating these specific conditions bringing on your dizzy spells.
Dizziness Treatment:-
Since BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) is the most common cause of dizziness, most often than not, & especially in the absence of other causes, your dizziness treatment & medication will coincide with your Vertigo Treatment & medication.
That being said, below are certain home remedies for treating mild forms of dizziness at home. In the next section, we give you advice on the best dizziness treatment for those experiencing more severe forms.
- Drinking more water: Dehydration is the most common cause of dizziness. In absence of water, your brain can’t get enough oxygen & thus, you feel drowsy & dizzy. Hence, one of the easiest ways to get rid of your dizziness at home is to simply drink more water. Unsurprisingly, staying hydrated is also the very first advice your doctor will give you if you go to one for dizziness treatment.
- Ginger: Ginger is long known to treat symptoms of motion sickness & dizziness. It is also given to pregnant women to reduce effects of nausea & general malaise.
You can take Ginger in many forms; by drinking ginger tea, by adding ground ginger in your food, taking ginger supplements, & other means.
Before taking any supplements, however, ensure to always consult your doctor as supplements can interfere with certain medications that you may be taking.
- Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a known Vertigo treatment & Vertigo medicine, known to treat Vertigo & Meniere’s disease.
Try to include foods rich in Vitamin C in your diet like Oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, & bell peppers.
- Vitamin E: Vitamin E helps maintain circulation inside your blood vessels, thus leading to a healthy, well-nourished body & keeping dizziness at bay. Include more Vitamin E rich foods in your diet like wheat germ, seeds, nuts, kiwis, spinach, etc.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D has long been known to be helpful in treating BPPV, & thus, it is also a good dizziness treatment.
- Iron: Sometimes, iron deficiencies can lead to bouts of dizziness, specifically if you have anemia. If your doctor thinks this is the cause of your dizziness, then they might prescribe you certain iron supplements as dizziness medicines. Additionally, you may also need to include iron rich foods like red meat, poultry, beans, & dark leafy greens in your diet.
Dizziness Medicines:-
Dizziness medications are often the ones used to treat any underlying illnesses rather than dizziness alone. Your doctor might prescribe you preventive medications for migraines, especially if your dizziness is brought on by Vertigo, of which migraine is a rather common symptom.
In case of anxiety related dizziness, anti-anxiety medications like Diazepam(Valium) & alprazolam(Xanax) will be given to you to help reduce your anxiety levels, which in turn, help with your dizzy spells.
Other medications that are prescribed as dizziness medicines are:
- Water pills or diuretics: These are prescribed as dizziness medicines if your dizziness treatment involves treating Meniere’s disease, which is caused by fluid buildup in the inner ear.
- Antihistamines & Anticholinergics: These medications, unlike other dizziness medicines, focus entirely on treating dizziness rather than the underlying cause of it. Over The Counter Antihistamines & Vertigo medicines like Stugeron Forte Tablet, Vertin Tablet, Stemetil Tablet, & Meclizine Tablet are just some dizziness medicines used to treat only dizziness. Initially, some of these medications can cause drowsiness, but overtime, you will get used to it & they will help stabilize your dizziness symptoms too.
Below is a list of the top 10 dizziness medicines that your doctor may prescribe to you at one point or other over the course of your dizziness treatment.
- Benzodiazepines, like clonazepam, diazepam, & lorazepam etc.
- Betahistine
- Cinnarizine
- Dimenhydrinate
- Meclizine
- Metoclopramide
- Prochlorperazine
- Promethazine
- Ondansterone
- Piracetam
- Scopolamine, which is also used a skin-patch SSRI, much like amitriptyline
Below, you’ll find a brief description & uses of some of these dizziness medicines.
- Benzodiazepines: These include anxiety-allaying medications like clonazepam, diazepam, & lorazepam. Their function is to suppress vestibular responses through the central nervous system. Dizziness feelings are often brought on by a lack of coordination between sensory signals in the body, which can be caused by severe anxiety. Benzodiazepines can help relieve a patient’s anxiety for some time, however, they should be prescribed for a small period only, otherwise there is a danger of addiction, impaired memory, & a permanent reduction in the patient’s sensory abilities.
Also, Benzodiazepines should not be given to patients with myasthenia gravis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sleep-apnea, as they can cause problems with respiration.
- BetaHistine: These medications are used to treat Meniere’s disease, & thus also help patients with dizziness brought on by the disease. It is available in 2 forms; Betahistine Hydrochloride & Betahistine Mesilate. These medications help by increasing the blood flow to the inner ear & improve the nerves’ regulatory processes.
However, betahistines should be avoided with patients that have a history of bronchial asthma & gastric ulcers.
- Cinnarizine: Cinnarizine is an antihistamine & calcium channel blocker which acts by improving blood flow to inner ears, thus reducing their irritability & relieving blood vessels of constrictions. It is an effective Vertigo medicine, especially during acute Vertigo episodes. It also helps treat nausea in patients. However, it should not be prescribed for a long amount of time as it can lead to medicine induced Parkinson’s.
- Meclizine: Meclizine is an antihistamine that is helpful in treating Vertigo, especially during its acute phase, & also helps in motion sickness, nausea, & dizziness.
It is the only antihistamine that is safe for pregnant & lactating women, & can also be used to treat seasickness & motion sickness.
Like all other antihistamines, Meclizine can cause dryness of mouth & drowsiness.
Apart from these Dizziness medicines, Vestibular rehabilitation therapy may also be necessary for patients to help them restore their natural balance, & learn to live with their dizziness.
Certain exercises like Epley Maneuver, which involves sitting on a bed upright & tilting your head first to the left, holding it for 30 seconds, & then to the right, again holding for 30 seconds, can help with maintaining balance.
Certain Yoga postures & mild exercises can also prove helpful in the long run, & establishing a set of quick rules to help when you’re feeling acutely dizzy can help during situations where you are alone.
Living with Vertigo & Dizziness can be a harrowing experience for some, especially if they lack supporting resources & adequate medical care. However, with the proper care, therapy, & medication, it is indeed possible.
At NeuroEquilibrium group of clinics, we ensure that each of our patients get a standardized diagnosis, care, personalized therapy, & medication to help them live better, healthier, more balanced lives.
