lightheadedness

i have a sinus infection, i am experiencing flashes of dizziness that last a split second. i am on activella for menopause and also effexor xr, i am also taking chantix to stop smoking. could you tell me anything about my dizziness?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

How are you?

Without examination,confirmation of a diagnosis is tough but it looks like dizziness due to sinusitis to me. The sinuses are air-filled spaces lined with mucous membranes surrounding the forehead, cheeks and eyes. Healthy sinuses allow mucus to drain and air to circulate throughout the nasal passages. When sinuses become inflamed, these areas get blocked and mucus cannot drain. This lack of proper sinus drainage can lead to infection,headache and dizziness.

Diagnosis can be made by examination, transillumination, xrays, a CT scan, or an MRI.

The best way to avoid or get rid of a sinus headache is to treat the underlying sinus inflammation and infection by using antibiotics. Treating the inflammation involves anything from using a humidifier to taking medicines to surgically drain of the mucous in the sinuses.

However regarding the three medicines which you have told,effexor xr has been reported to cause dizziness in 20%patients.So if you have dizziness even after clearing of sinus infection ,then you can talk about this possibility to your doctor.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries.Kind regards.