20% of people between 18 and 65 have suffered from this problem. And the older you are, the more likely you are to suffer from it. Dr. Nicolás Pérez, specialist in Otolaryngology at the University of Navarra Clinic and author of the book Vertigo y mareo. What's wrong with me, what should I do? , explains what its possible causes are and how it can be treated.
What can be the causes of dizziness when getting up?
If the feeling of dizziness is triggered when getting up and lying down and is brief (seconds), it is a benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and the cause is in the ear. But if the feeling of dizziness occurs only when you get up and remains for a certain time (minutes, hours), it is possibly orthostatic hypotension and, in that case, it is a cardiovascular problem.
Along with these two causes, there are also other problems that can cause dizziness:
- Ear problems The most common are Ménière's disease (vertigo that lasts for hours, deafness and noises in one ear) and vestibular neuritis (very intense vertigo that lasts for days, without hearing loss).
- Ictus. Vertigo or dizziness is short-lived and gives way to a very strong and continuous feeling of instability. Other unusual symptoms soon appear in dizziness caused by ear problems.
- Another disorder. In systemic or general diseases (diabetes, hypertension …) there are almost always periods of dizziness. They are usually not very bothersome and are controlled by monitoring the underlying disease.
- Polypharmacy. Drug interaction is one of the most common causes of dizziness, especially in older people. This is usually an unpleasant feeling of continuous dizziness.
- Panic or panic attack. Among its multiple symptoms (palpitations, a feeling of suffocation, chest tightness, sweating, tremors …), a significant feeling of insecurity when walking is also frequently included, such as floating or imbalance, even of own movement or of the environment when is still.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT IS SOMETHING LIGHT OR MORE SERIOUS?
The seriousness of the problem depends on the number of added symptoms that the patient manifests, in particular those of a neurological nature: headaches, double vision, loss of sensation. On the other hand, dizziness will be more or less relevant depending on its duration.
What do I do if I get recurrent dizziness when getting up?
Only 22% of people who suffer from dizziness go to the doctor after the first crisis, perhaps because it was very intense or because of the concern it has left them; the rest maintain an attitude of waiting and come when it is repeated. However, the main recommendation of Dr. Nicolás Pérez is precisely to visit the doctor: “The first thing I would advise someone who suffers from this problem more or less frequently is to go to a specialist in this type of problem once your doctor family has carried out a check-up to rule out the existence of a general problem or the complication of a known disease. The second, to keep calm since they are problems that, although they generate a certain disability, are not fatal. And thirdly, that he faces his problem in a positive way.
HOW TO TREAT DIZZINESS
Although dizziness reappears frequently (almost in 15% of cases), it cannot be prevented. The good news is that positional dizziness is easy to treat and eliminate.
- The dizziness that occur with postural changes and are due to a problem in the inner ear need specific maneuvers to pull ducts the inner ear material limestone (calcium carbonate crystals) that when he gets into them, sent to the brain confusing messages about body position, causing vertigo. In this case, put yourself in the hands of the ENT.
- In the case of a blood pressure problem, you have to go to the cardiologist for treatment to prevent major complications. Postural dizziness of vascular or cardiac causes is a major medical emergency.
- On the other hand, it has recently been known that the deficiency or insufficiency of vitamin D is a factor related to the reappearance of positional vertigo. For this reason, monitoring levels (with those of calcium and phosphorus) can give us clues to treat recurrent vertigo and dizziness.
