Constantly feelign dizzy, sometimes anxiety

[Richie88]

I'm a 16 year old male and usually when I get up from laying down for a while, I feel dizzy and lightheaded. This has been happening for a while and I found out that the best way to prevent it is to simply get up slowly. I do that now and that problem happens much less often.

Now, about a month ago I was watching TV and my head was elevated on the arm rest of the couch and the rest of my body was laying on the ouch. (Picture it like someone laying down flat on a couch, except their head is up on the arm rest). I was laying like this for about an hour or two. When I was done I got up quickly and went upstairs to start cleaning my room. I was making quick motions constantly (slowly jogging back for forth to the garbage bin, lifting objects, turning my head left and right pretty quickly) while cleaning. Then at one point I just felt extremely dizzy very quickly... so I sat down. It didn't feel like the room was spinning... it was more like I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience and my head weighed as much as feather. I sat down for a good 15 minutes at it slowly went away.

The next day it happened again, except just randomly as I was sitting down on the computer. Out of no where I felt dizzy again so I got up and walked around the house for a few minutes and then went to sit down. It went away after about 15 minutes. Then it happened again the next day the very same way.

Now it's been about 1 month later and it happens less often. However, rather than having random dizzy spells on and off, it seems like I'm constantly dizzy most of the time during the day, just not as severely. There are times when I lose my balance for a slight second or times when I lean over and feel like I'm going to fall over. This happens whether I lay down and then get up, or if I'm just sitting down, or if I'm just standing up. Like I said, it's been about a month, and it's still happening, just not as severely but more frequently. It's not ALL the time though... I would say about 75% of the time I'm awake during the day, I'm a bit light-headed. Does anybody know what this could be?


Some important things to factor:

- I went to a walk-in clinic and took my blood pressure, they said it was fairly high, but they said it could have just been because I was nervous because I was in a hospital (don't like hospitals..).
- I went to my family doctor afterwards and she took my blood pressure and said it was fine. She said it would probably go away after a while. That was about 2 weeks ago.
- I'm on the computer very often (I do graphic design). When I'm not at school, I'm usually on the computer.
- I'm a pretty active person, played sports all my life and have taken fitness classes.
- When I feel a dizzy spell coming on my heart beats quickly and I start to panic a bit.
- I'm one of those people who gets dizzy when they blow into a balloon or blow any other time. (If that helps).
- I listen to headphones and music a lot. (Both earbud headphones and the type of headphones that go over your head and cover your whole ear).

Doing some research, I'm thinking it might be vertigo, but I have no idea. Seems like some type of blood problem of some sort?

If anybody could give me any diagnosis or any information to help me that would be very much appreciated... I hate living like this. Thanks.

[Richie88]

I went to the emergency room today because I had another panic attack this morning, and they ran a whole bunch of tests. Electric cardiogram, took my blood, my blood pressure, etc. Everything came back fine. They said it's probably a viral infection. I think they're just blowing me off...

I could understand how to stop this if I was scared of something or experienced some soft of emotional trauma. But I just don't understand what's bringing this on. I'm not nervous or scared of anything, haven't had a significant emotional change in my life, not stressed, etc. It just makes no sense.

Is it possible that all of this could just be a viral infection? When the doctor was taking my blood pressure she said my hands were cold and my face was sort of pale.

[Richie88]

Oh and two more things to add:

- During and after all the panic attacks, my hands were trembling almost uncontrollably.

- After the last panic attack, I felt insanely tired. Like I wanted to just fall asleep right then and there. I'm not sure if this would be simply my body being fatigued from fighting off that the panic attacks, or the after-effects of eating sugar?

[Richie88]

Hello again

I thought this problem was pretty much done for but apparently it's back with a vengeance, and this time it's not mainly a head problem, but my heart.

Today was the first day back to school (I'm a senior). It was a regular day and everything, until I was talking with a bunch of friends in the cafeteria and suddenly I had what I believe to be a panic attack. For absolutely no reason whatsoever. Wasn't hot, wasn't tired, wasn't nervous about anything. All off as sudden my heart started racing and my vision got a bit blurry and the floor almost looked like it was wobbling. I tried to calm down and ignore it but it got so bad to the point where I literally had to get up during mid-conversation and just walk away from them to get some fresh air. I walked around outside for about 10 mins and was back to normal.

Then later in the day (about an hour), it happened again, this time in class. The teacher was simply giving us a breakdown of what the course was going to be about and suddenly my heart started beating faster again. Vision blurry again, but not as bad as the first time. Tried to calm down but I had to just let it pass. Then it happened again, and again, and once more throughout the next 3 hours or so.

The thing I don't understand is there was absolutely NOTHING to bring it on. I know it wasn't "back to school" jitters to anything - in fact I was excited about the first day back. I wasn't tired - I slept a good 8 hours the night before. Does anybody know what might be going on? I think it's more than a panic attack because panic attacks are usually from something small, like a fear, and then your brain going wild and scaring you. But again, for me, all 5-7 times it happened within the 4 hours from 11am to 3pm, there was nothing happening around me that would cause me to freak out.

Here's a few things I should mention incase it helps diagnose me:

- I did have waffles with maple syrup for breakfast. I had them for the first time in about 2-3 months. Maybe my body wasn't used to so much sugar being in my body so early in the morning in such a short amount of time?

- I had vertigo problems in the past (and still occur at times, but very rarely, and they didn't occur today). I was listening to headphones today and I found out months ago that headphones often caused my vertigo. Maybe my equilibrium was thrown off by the music, causing something with my heart?

- I had my heart rate checked a few months ago (I'm not sure what the test is called... whichever is the one that the doctor puts sticky circles with wires connected to them all over your chest). That test came out fine.

- I do have fairly high blood pressure. Again, could the sugar from the maple syrup factor into that?

- I do lift weights. But I haven't in over a week or so.

- I used to have random feelings in my chest where it felt like my heart skipped a beat. Sort of like one of those times where it feels like your chest is compressed for a slight second and you grasp it out of instinct, then it's back to normal and perfectly fine. That hasn't happened in a month or two.

- Throughout all of todays 'panic' attacks, NEVER at ANY point did I feel any pain. It was all just extremely rapid heart beats, dizziness, messed up vision, feeling like I was going to faint, etc.



Thanks for any help.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
In a way you have caught the problem. It’s loud music on headphones. Constant dizziness and vertigo are one of the earliest signs of noise pollution and noise affecting your internal ear. You must lower the volume and avoid headphones as much as possible to avoid further damage. Blood pressure you can monitor in various positions to rule out postural hypotension—while sitting, standing and lying down. Headaches and pain in temple area can be due to loud music. Another possibility is migraine triggered by loud noise.
Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Consult a neurologist once and an ENT specialist to access the nerve damage and ear drum damage. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[Richie88]

Thanks again for the information. Things have gotten better since, but I'm still going to be cautious about this. Though over the past 2 or 3 days, I've been having a pain in my right temple and sometimes above my eye. There's no visible bumps or anything, haven't hit my head. It doesn't really make me dizzy but it can be pretty annoying. It comes and goes. I can usually feel my pulse on my right temple when it's happening. Again, keep in mind I do listen to headphones a lot and it's usually at a pretty high volume. I'm trying to cut back on that though. Any ideas of whether this could be related to my blood pressure or what not?

[caregiver222]

In general, you should not be slowing down your heart rate, unless you know exactly what you are doing. There are simple ways to do so, but I am not going to provide them.

What you are experiencing with the heart is called compensatory tachycardia. It is an attempt by the heart to continue to provide a unit volume of oxygenated blood to the brain.

Slowing down your heart rate, under such circumstances, is an invitation to a syncopal episode - a period of unconsciousness.

Your dizziness is most likely being caused by an unavailability of oxygen in the brain.

You need to talk to your mom or dad about getting you a comprehensive medical evaluation. I suspect the problems you have are not that serious and will be identified, but the chances of having a spell while riding a bicycle or being in the middle or traffic or on a train station can be life threatening.

I am not a happy camper about your doctor blowing you off. You need another doctor.  It is very difficult to manage your own medical care at your age, and you are at the mercy of others, who have not been doing their jobs.

I would like to have you evaluated at a teaching hospital by a team of physicians.

While dehydration may be the issue the problem is why are you dehydrated?

One way to get on the radar screen is to call an ambulance the next time you have a "spell" and have them transport you to the ER. If you tell the ER you were unconscious they have to keep you for evaluation for 24 hours and give you a good work-up. Mind you, I am not telling you what to tell them. Don't hesitate to call an ambulance. That's what they get paid for.

You need to go to another physician. The medical side of any ER is well-equipped to evaluate your situation.

You seem to have exhausted all the steps a reasonable and intelligent young man could do, from a clinic to a doctor to this board.

You need to write up your symptoms and problems on a sheet of paper, make copies and bring them with you to the ER.

You have been extraordinarily conscientious about attempting to evaluate your conditions, and the medical community has let you down.

[Richie88]

Okay, an update:

I've been drinking more water and feeling dizzy much less often. However, just moments ago, i was using my computer and listening to quiet music and all of a sudden it felt like my head just had a sudden jolt/shock type of feeling (didn't hurt, just felt weird). I felt dizzy for a few minutes and it seems to have subsided but I'm still a bit light headed as I'm typing this. Does anyone know what this could be?

Also, does anybody have any good tips to slow down my heart rate when I'm having one of these dizzy spells and my heart is beating like crazy?

[Richie88]

Well over the past 2 days I've been drinking much more water and I haven't been very dizzy at all during that time. Dehydration just might have been the problem. But I never really FEEL thirsty. Oh well. I'll still take the necessary precautions.

[Richie88]

Thank you very much for the information. Is there anything else I should know, anybody?

[caregiver222]

I provided some supplementary advice in a private message. You need to get what is called an occult stool test and a hematocrit, to determine if your red blood cells are present in normal amounts.

[caregiver222]

Your problem is neither cervical spodolyis or vertenobasliar insufficiency. That is absolute rubbish and complete nonsense.

Your condition is called orthostatic hypotension, and there are two common etitiologies:

(1) Dehydration.
(2) Failure of the peripheral vasculature to compensate for change in position.

The fact your heart races is because it compensates for the lowered arterial oxygenated blood going to your brain.

The question is why you are dehydrated, if you are dehydrated.  Diabetes is one possibility. Colitis causing excessive bowel movements or urinary tract infections causing excessive urination can cause dehydration. So can simple excess exercise in the sun. Or a sweating problem. Another is excessive consumption of vitamin C ( a diuretic). Make an effort to drink more fluids, especially electrolytes, such as gatorade.

In a diabetic, high blood sugar, in the absence of insulin, cause an alternative means of lowering blood sugar to go into effect. This "back-up" uses large quantities of fluid, and often results in dehydration. A flag for this syndrome is "fruity" urine odor.

Low blood sugar, as the poster states above, does not cause the problem you are having. That is faulty reasoning. Low blood sugar can cause dizziness, however the differential diagnosis is that the dizziness is NOT brought on by postural change.

The very first thing your physician should have done is taken orthostatic vital signs. There is a nomograph available, and by consulting this chart the degree of dehydration can be established.

If you are dehydrated oral rehydration is an acceptable means of correcting the problem. An IV is not generally necessary.

The blood volume contained within the various vessels is called "body capacitance." When a person gets up, the blood vessels in the legs normally "squeeze" the blood upwards. Between both legs this can mean up to 1000 cc's of blood being forced upwards every time you stand.

When this does not happen, the blood pressure is lowered, insufficient oxygen per unit volume is transported to the brain, and the carotid P02 sensors tell mister heart to speed things up.

The failure of the blood vesssels to react can have many causes. Parkinson's disease, for one. On the other hand, these muscles are mediated by calcium, and the problem could be as simple as a calcium deficiency.

[Dr J Singh]

Hello,

First and foremost, regular estimation of blood sugar is important as hypoglycemia can lead to dizziness. Also get your blood pressure monitored as orthostatic hypotension due to sudden decrease in systolic BP can also cause dizziness.

Sometimes cervical spodolysis and vertenrobasilar insufficiency can also cause dizziness.Due to your work on the computers and posture,cervical spondolysis is a more likely possibility.Other causes which need to be ruled out are anemia,inner ear diseases and Meniere’s disease and anxiety and panic attacks.

Pls consult a physician and get yourself evaluated for these.

Hope it helps.Kind regards and pls do keep me posted.