Dizziness

It's common to sometimes feel dizzy, lightheaded or off-balance, and it's not usually serious. See a GP if you're worried.

Symptoms of dizziness

Dizziness includes feeling:

off-balance
giddy
lightheaded or faint
like you're spinning or things around you are spinning (vertigo)

How you can treat dizziness yourself

Dizziness usually goes away on its own. But there are things you can do to take care of yourself while you're feeling dizzy.

Do

lie down until the dizziness passes, then get up slowly
move slowly and carefully
get plenty of rest
drink plenty of fluids, especially water
avoid coffee, cigarettes, alcohol and drugs

Don't

do not bend down suddenly
do not get up suddenly after sitting or lying down
do not do anything that could be dangerous while you're dizzy, like driving, climbing a ladder or using heavy machinery

See a GP if:

you're worried about your dizziness or vertigo
it will not go away or it keeps coming back
you're finding it harder to hear or speak
there's ringing or other sounds in your ears (tinnitus)
you have double vision, blurred vision or other changes in your eyesight
your face, arms or legs feel numb or weak
you have other symptoms like changes to your pulse, fainting or collapsing, headaches, feeling or being sick

Causes of dizziness

If you have other symptoms, this might give you an idea of the cause. Do not self-diagnose. See a GP if you're worried.

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