Lightheadedness can occur when your brain or inner ear fails to receive adequate blood flow. This can happen for a variety of reasons such as aging, artery hardening, high blood pressure, diabetes, or excessive cholesterol levels. 

Inadequate heart function, low blood sugar, low iron, smoking, or a high salt diet can all have an impact on circulation. 

Vertigo
Poor blood flow to the inner ear can cause vertigo, a particularly debilitating type of dizziness characterized by the sensation of rotation or movement when there is none. 

As the brain tries to make sense of the competing and contradictory information it receives, vertigo is often accompanied by nausea and sometimes vomiting.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is when symptoms strike suddenly in certain positions, such as lying down or turning over to the affected ear’s side in bed. When an attack occurs, symptoms last less than a minute, although episodes are likely to recur over time. 

The sensation happens when a dislodged calcium structure of the inner ear enters one of the inner ear’s canals and triggers a hair cell, deceiving your ear into thinking you are spinning. BPPV episodes can last for days, weeks, or months. 

Meniere’s disease
Meniere’s disease occurs when there is an accumulation of too much inner-ear fluid, which can result in a sudden rupture of the inner-ear membranes. The end effect is abrupt, severe vertigo that might continue for hours. 

The earliest episodes are usually the most severe. The combination of signs and symptoms includes:

• Vertigo with nausea or vomiting
• Loud ringing in the ear
• A sensation of fullness or pressure in the affected ear
• Fluctuating hearing loss, which is often worse after the attack but may improve

Hearing loss is typically in the low frequencies, distinguishing it from many other kinds of hearing loss related to nerve damage.

People who have a history of migraine headaches may develop vertigo. Allergies, both airborne and food, can cause episodes of dizziness. 

Certain viral and bacterial infections that target the inner ear can lead to dizziness. Acute suppurative labyrinthitis is a bacterial infection of the inner ear that can damage both hearing and balance.

If you’re experiencing episodes of dizziness, our physicians at Southern ENT can help. Our diagnostic evaluation includes a physical examination of your ears, nose, and throat, as well as a check of your blood pressure, nerve and balance function, and hearing. 

We may also order a CT or MRI scan of your head and tests to examine the function of your inner ear to help us uncover the source of your dizziness. Once we have some insight into the cause of your dizziness, we create an individualized treatment plan. 

Most cases of dizziness are mild and easily treatable, but moderate to severe dizziness or dizziness that worsens over time requires evaluation. 

If you’re dealing with this issue, give us a call to schedule a visit with a Southern ENT provider today. We serve patients from Thibodaux LA, Houma LA, Raceland LA, Morgan City LA, New Iberia LA, and Youngsville LA, and surrounding areas!