Five Causes Of Dizziness And Headaches
Quite often, dizziness and headaches go hand in hand, meaning that if you suffer from one, chances are high that you are also suffering from the other. Although they are technically two separate conditions, they seem to compliment each other quite often. Technically speaking, a headache is defined as some type of an ache or pain in the head that can be mild, moderate or severe while dizziness is the sensation of instability. Below are five common causes of why dizziness and headaches may occur together.
Chain Reaction
Quite often, the dizziness and headaches combination begins as a headache and then the continuous, prolonged period of pain causes dizziness. Also, you my be dizzy first or experiencing vertigo, which is an extreme spinning sensation where you have to lie motionless, and then a headache is triggered as a result. Even though the two are completely separate conditions, there is a genuine link between them. Even when you treat one symptom, you often treat the other symptom as well whether you are actually trying to or not.
Migraines
Dizziness is often an initial symptom of a migraine. These dizzy spells can occur before, after or even during the headache stage. With severe migraines, dizziness is in the form of vertigo and is accompanied by double vision or loss vision, ringing in the ears, vomiting, coordination loss, slurred speech, weakness, numbness and confusion. These symptoms are usually replaced with the actual headache. Nausea, pain and discomfort during a migraine may cause you to feel dizzy or the dizziness can occur after the attack is completely done like a hangover.
Medications
Dizziness and headaches can be the result of many different types of medications.
- Antihypertensive drugs, as well as those that one might take to lower blood pressure including cardizem, accupil, cardene and cardura are often too blame.
- A more common drug causing dizziness and headaches is ibuprofen. In fact, all of the side effects that it is responsible for are rash, drowsiness, ear ringing, nausea, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, dizziness and headaches.
- Antiangina drugs that relieve severe pain are also responsible. Quite often, a headache comes first while your body is adjusting to the medication and then dizziness, increased pulse, vomiting and restlessness are side effects.
Substance Exposure
Toluene, which is found in paint thinners, paint removers and gasoline, when inhaled, offer symptoms of delirium, euphoria, giddy feelings, confusion, uncoordinated movements, vomiting, nausea, dizziness and headaches.
Also, the silent killer, carbon monoxide poisoning often causes shortness of breath, the feeling of being light-headed, headaches, nausea and dizziness. This gas is odorless, colorless, and invisible so it is important that your home has a carbon monoxide detector.
Medical Problems
Experiencing dizziness and headaches together could be symptoms for a few different medical problems such as:
- Neck trauma
- Head trauma
- Heat exhaustion – If a person is suffering from heat exhaustion, they will also sweat profusely, look pale, feel weak, have clammy skin and suffer from thirstiness, vomiting and nausea.
- Stroke – A more severe medical condition that dizziness and headaches is associated with is a stroke. Of course, stroke symptoms come on extremely quickly and you will generally experience a weakness or numbness in the face, leg, arm or an entire side of you body. This is also accompanied with difficulty understanding or speaking, vision problems, confusion, walking trouble, loss of coordination or balance, dizziness and headaches.
- Temporomandibular joint syndrome – TMJ can also be a cause of this combination. Other symptoms associated with this are pain when you chew, yawn or talk, ear popping, ear ringing, hearing loss and popping of clicking of the jaw.