First, let's address the most common cause of dizziness while lying down: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. This condition occurs when tiny gravity-sensing crystals in the inner ear mistakenly move into parts of the ear – namely, the parts that detect head motion.
Dizziness that happens when you're lying down is usually caused by a viral ear infection, which can't be treated with antibiotics. It's a good idea to keep a diary recording when and where you experience dizziness and take it with you to your GP appointment.
Generally, see your doctor if you experience any recurrent, sudden, severe, or prolonged and unexplained dizziness or vertigo. Get emergency medical care if you experience new, severe dizziness or vertigo along with any of the following: Sudden, severe headache. Chest pain.
In most cases, dizziness associated with heart problems is accompanied by other symptoms. These may include shortness of breath, swollen extremities, frequent fatigue or chest pain. In the event heart disease is suspected, you will undergo one or more tests to get to the root of your problem.
Warning signs and symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, chronic coughing or wheezing, swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, and others. Heart failure means the heart has failed to pump the way it should in order to circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.
“Red flag” symptoms should alert you to a non-vestibular cause: persistent, worsening vertigo or dysequilibrium; atypical “non-peripheral” vertigo, such as vertical movement; severe headache, especially early in the morning; diplopia; cranial nerve palsies; dysarthria, ataxia, or other cerebellar signs; and ...
If you are dizzy right now and have any of the following neurological symptoms along with your dizziness or vertigo, call 911 immediately: New confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech. New slurred speech or hoarseness of voice. New numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg.
If you're dehydrated, you may start to feel dizzy. This feeling can cause you to also experience lightheadedness, wooziness, fairness and unsteadiness. You may also experience a very specific form of dizziness called vertigo.
When they are dislodged, the crystals float around in the fluid area of the balance branch of the inner ear, and you will start to feel off balance. The loose crystals will start to make people feel like they are spinning and the room is spinning around them.
This can happen if there is a sudden drop in your blood pressure or you are dehydrated from vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or other causes. Many people, especially as they get older, experience lightheadedness if they get up too quickly from a lying or seated position.
Generally, see your doctor if you experience any recurrent, sudden, severe, or prolonged and unexplained dizziness or vertigo. Get emergency medical care if you experience new, severe dizziness or vertigo along with any of the following: Sudden, severe headache.
Causes of lightheadedness may be dehydration, medication side effects, sudden blood pressure drops, low blood sugar, and heart disease or stroke.
High blood pressure and dizziness are often associated because a person with uncontrolled hypertension may present with dizziness; indeed, dizziness may be the only symptom of hypertension.
If you cannot pump sufficient oxygen-rich blood to the brain, you can feel lightheaded and even faint. Low blood flow may be caused by blood clots, heart failure, arterial obstructions, and irregular heartbeats. The problem can worsen with age. Several drugs can cause dizziness.
Stroke A blood clot or bleeding in the brain — otherwise known as a stroke — can cause symptoms of vertigo.
Reduced blood flow
Dizziness can be caused if your brain doesn't receive enough blood. This can occur for a variety of reasons, including: Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis.
Lightheadedness is when you feel like fainting or about to pass out. Some people call it feeling woozy. Lightheadedness is related to dizziness. Dizziness is, when you feel unsteady or are having trouble keeping your balance.
Imaging studies of the brain, and sometimes the cervical spine, are common in patients with Dizziness and Vertigo. The purpose of these studies is to identify a structural cause of dizziness such as a stroke, MS, tumor, or any number of a myriad of other disorders of the ear or central nervous system.
Dix-Hallpike Test for Vertigo
To conduct this test, your healthcare provider will simply turn your head 45 degrees to one side. Then, you'll quickly lie on your back, with your head off the side of the table, maintaining the 45-degree head turn for at least 30 seconds.
Up to 1 in 5 people experience COVID-related dizziness when they're sick. COVID can also cause vertigo and trigger POTS (postural tachycardia syndrome). COVID dizziness can take weeks to months to fully resolve.
Dizziness When Lying Down Before Bed
If you get dizzy only when you lie down for bed, your peripheral vestibular system is the likely culprit. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) occurs when the crystals in your inner ear become detached from the otolithic membrane that normally holds them in place.