Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentPreventionWhen to See a ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Prevention
When to See a Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s not unusual to occasionally experiencenauseaorlightheadedness; both are common and usually have nonserious causes. Sometimes these symptoms can occur together, as in the case of endurance athletes (like marathon runners) who overexert themselves.
This article explores the symptoms and causes of nausea and lightheadedness, including how they can be treated and prevented. It also explains when nausea and lightheadedness are signs of a medical emergency needing immediate care.
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Symptoms of Nausea and Lightheadedness
Lightheadednessis another term forpresyncope, meaning the sensations you have before fainting (syncope). Symptoms of presyncope can vary but may include:
What Causes Nausea and Lightheadedness?
Many conditions can cause nausea and lightheadedness. Most are not serious, but others are potentially life-threatening.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemiais the medical term for low blood sugar (glucose). Glucose is the body’s main energy source. When levels fall too low, the body is less able to function normally.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia tend to develop when glucose levels are below 70 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL).
At this level, hypoglycemia can cause neuroglycopenic symptoms (such as lightheadedness, fatigue, and blurred vision) due to the depletion of glucose in the brain. At the same time, adrenergic symptoms (such as nausea,rapid heart rate, and sweating) can occur due to associated imbalances inadrenalinelevels.
Hypoglycemia is common among people with uncontrolled diabetes. It can also occur in those without diabetes due to excessive alcohol use, severe infections, certain medications, or hormonal disorders likeAddison’s disease.
How Hypoglycemia Is Treated
Migraine
Migraineis a common neurological (brain-related) disorder that causes recurrent headaches, sometimes severe. The headaches are often described as throbbing or pounding and usually affect one side of the head. Nausea is common, which can precede or accompany a migraine attack.
Vertigo AttacksVestibular migraine is the most common cause of vertigo attacks and accounts for roughly 9% of all visits to migraine clinics.
Vertigo Attacks
Vestibular migraine is the most common cause of vertigo attacks and accounts for roughly 9% of all visits to migraine clinics.
Migraine Treatments: Everything You Need to Know
Vasovagal Syncope
Vasovagal syncope occurs when the part of thenervous systemthat regulates heart rate and blood pressure suddenly malfunctions. This causes the heart rate to slow and blood vessels to dilate (widen), leading to a steep drop in blood pressure.
The cause of vasovagal episodes is not always clear, although it is thought to be an exaggerated reaction to a triggering event, such as:
PrevalenceStudies suggest that one-third of all people have at least one vasovagal syncope spell sometime in their lifetime.
Prevalence
Studies suggest that one-third of all people have at least one vasovagal syncope spell sometime in their lifetime.
Epilepsy
Unexplained episodes of nausea and lightheadedness may be signs of certain types ofepilepsy, a brain-related disorder that causes seizures.
People who experiencefocal seizures, also known as auras, will not lose consciousness but may experience sensory symptoms such as nausea and odd smells.A sudden drop in blood pressure and heart rhythm changes may also occur and lead to lightheadedness and dizziness.
A focal seizure may occur on its own or lead to a classicgeneralized seizure.
How Epilepsy Is Treated
Anxiety Attacks
Anxiety attacks, also known as panic attacks, are intense and sudden feelings of fear or doom that manifest with physical symptoms. Inpanic disorder, these attacks arise in the absence of a threat or when the threat is disproportionately smaller than the response.
Common symptoms of anxiety attacks include:
In extreme cases, the reaction can be severe enough to cause lightheadedness, dizziness, and fainting.
How to Treat Panic Attacks
Medications
Any number of medications can cause nausea. Some also directly or indirectly affect blood pressure, triggering presyncope.
Some of the medications that can cause nausea and lightheadedness include:
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Other symptoms include blurred vision, shortness of breath, confusion, and vomiting. If not removed from the source of the toxic fume, a person can pass out and die.
Recognizing the Signs of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Heart Attack
A heart attack, also known asmyocardial infarction, occurs when an artery that sends blood and oxygen to the heart muscle is blocked.
The six classicsymptoms of a heart attackare:
Not all heart attacks are readily recognizable. In some cases, you may only experience signs like nausea and lightheadedness. These are referred to assilent heart attacks.
Silent Heart AttacksAccording to the American Heart Association, roughly 1 in 7 heart attacks in the United States are “silent,” meaning that they lack obvious symptoms. As a result of delayed treatment, a person with a silent heart attack is 35% more likely to experienceheart failure(the heart does not pump enough blood for the body’s needs).
Silent Heart Attacks
According to the American Heart Association, roughly 1 in 7 heart attacks in the United States are “silent,” meaning that they lack obvious symptoms. As a result of delayed treatment, a person with a silent heart attack is 35% more likely to experienceheart failure(the heart does not pump enough blood for the body’s needs).
Brain Tumors
A less likely cause of nausea and lightheadedness is abrain tumor. These includemalignant(cancerous) tumors andbenign(noncancerous) ones. Both produce symptoms that vary based on the tumor’s size, type, and location. A headache is the most common sign.
The most common type of brain cancer,glioma, is known to causebradycardia(slowed heart rate) and presyncope when it occurs in the basal ganglia.Nausea and vomiting are also common.
Signs and Symptoms of a Brain Tumor
How to Treat Nausea and Lightheadedness
See a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment if you experience these symptoms without an obvious cause, if they are severe, or if they recur.
Nausea Remedies
If you have nausea, some of the treatment options include:
Lightheadedness Remedies
If you experience lightheadedness, you can do several things:
What About Children?
On its own, nausea is a condition that can usually be managed in children. On the other hand, lightheadedness may be a cause for concern if it is recurrent and/or leads to fainting. Certainly, for parents and caregivers, fainting or near-fainting episodes can be alarming.
However, frequent lightheadedness should not be ignored. On rare occasions, it may be a sign of an undiagnosed heart condition or epilepsy.
How to Prevent Nausea and Lightheadedness
There is often no way to completely avoid nausea and lightheadedness. They can happen after doing something simple as watching an IMAX movie or exerting yourself more than you intended.
However, if you’ve experienced nausea and lightheadedness either frequently or severely, you can take steps to avoid future episodes, depending on the underlying cause:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If nausea and lightheadedness are severe, persistent, or occurring without a known cause, please see a healthcare provider for a further workup.
One rare but potentially life-threatening cause of nausea and lightheadedness isanaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe, whole-body allergy that occurs after exposure to certain drugs, foods, insect stings, and other allergy-causing substances (allergens).
Call 911 if you experience the followingsigns and symptoms of anaphylaxisafter exposure to a known or suspected allergen:
If left untreated, anaphylaxis can lead toshock,coma,asphyxiation,acute respiratory failure,cardiac arrest, and death.
Causes of Anaphylaxis You Should Know
Summary
Individually, there are many possible causes of nausea and lightheadedness. When they occur together, it may be due to relatively common conditions like hypoglycemia, migraine, extreme anxiety, and medication side effects. Less common causes include epilepsy, brain tumors, heart attacks, anaphylaxis, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
A Word From Verywell
It can be scary to suddenly experience nausea and lightheadedness and not know why. Fortunately, most cases are not serious and tend to pass without further incident. Even so, it’s important to let a healthcare provider know about it at your next appointment.
Based on your medical history, a healthcare provider may advise you to remain watchful and report any future incidents. Or you may be advised to undergo tests or procedures if you are at risk of heart disease, diabetes, or otheracute or chronic illnesses.
If nausea and lightheadedness occur repeatedly, schedule an appointment as soon as possible. To aid with the diagnosis, bring information about when and where the episodes occurred.
Lightheadedness is the feeling that you are about to faint. Dizziness is when you feel unbalanced or feel the room spinning. Dizziness often accompanies lightheadedness.
Not exactly. Vasovagal syncope occurs when you faint because your body overreacts to certain triggers (like the sight of blood). If you feel faint while standing, this is calledorthostatic hypotension. The two conditions can co-occur and are sometimes mistaken for the other.
Learn MoreCauses of Fainting: Why We Pass Out
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