![]() ![]() Standing up quickly from a seated or lying position can provoke lightheadedness. What causes lightheadedness?Ī brief drop in blood pressure and blood flow to the head can cause lightheadedness in seniors. Feeling nauseous or vomiting may accompany lightheadedness. Lightheadedness is in play when a senior feels he is about to faint or pass out. A person can feel dizzy without feeling his environment is in motion. Lightheadedness is defined differently than dizziness. When loss of function occurs simultaneously with vertigo, a brain-related condition, such as a stroke or transient ischemic attack, may have occurred. Vertigo that is accompanied by a sudden change in speech, vision or other ability should prompt immediate medical attention. When should medical care be sought for vertigo? The feeling of dizziness is likely to occur when elderly individuals are dehydrated or take certain heart medications. Consequently, they can experience dizziness that comes from overheating (also known as hyperthermia). Medicines that lower blood pressure can cause elderly individuals to feel faint, especially when the drugs lower the blood pressure significantly.ĭuring hot summer weather, active seniors are prone to heat stress. Side effects from certain medications, such as tranquilizers, antidepressants and antiseizure medicines, may be to blame when vertigo strikes. Drug withdrawal or intoxication are known to cause issues with balance or experiencing a false sense of spinning surroundings. Mixing alcohol with medications can similarly cause vertigo or lightheadedness. Taking excessive doses can result in dizziness. Seniors are commonly prescribed medications. Migraines and decreased blood flow to the brain cause vertigo, too. An ear or head injury can also result in vertigo. Vertigo occurs when these false signals are in conflict with other sensory systems in the body. An interruption in these signals to the brain can cause a bout of vertigo.Īn inner ear disorder, such as labyrinthitis, sends wrong signals to the brain. What causes dizziness?įour sensory systems (vision, sensory nerves, skin pressure, and inner ear) in the human body relay messages to the brain in order to maintain balance and orient a senior to his immediate surroundings. A senior experiencing vertigo may have difficulty walking or standing he may even lose his balance and fall. The environment may seem to move when, in reality, there is no movement. Vertigo is to blame when the senior feels as though he is off balance, spinning, whirling, tilting, or falling. Frequent bouts of dizziness have a negative impact on a senior’s everyday life. When the individual falsely perceives that his immediate surroundings are spinning, vertigo is the culprit. Seniors who feel faint, woozy, weak, or unsteady may be experiencing dizziness. Although the symptoms are rarely life-threatening, dizziness and lightheadedness should be addressed right away to prevent a fall and subsequent injury. Feeling dizzy or lightheaded are common complaints among the senior population, affecting 24 percent of people age 72 and over. ![]()
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