Light-Headedness

WHEN TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR

* You've felt light-headed for more than two consecutive days.

* The light-headedness recurs frequently.

* You have fainted.

* You have chest pain.

What Your Symptom Is Telling You

Your head suddenly feels as weightless as one of those satellites you've seen astronauts toss around like a balloon in space. You grab onto a wall to steady yourself as the world around you begins to dim and your legs start to buckle. For a moment, you feel faint, but then manage to recover.

Feeling light-headed or faint is a common complaint, doctors say. In many cases, it means that your brain is momentarily getting less oxygen than it needs to remain fully alert. This can happen for many reasons—from an emotional surprise such as a marriage proposal to an emotional shock such as learning a loved one has died.

Light-headedness can be the first sign of a health problem, such as anemia, low blood pressure or low blood sugar. It also can be a sign of more serious conditions such as diabetes, internal bleeding, heart disease or stroke.

"There is some common sense involved. If you have a moment of light-headedness when you're about to give a speech, the chances are that you have stage fright and aren't having a cerebral hemorrhage," says Robert Slater, M.D., an assistant professor of clinical neurology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Symptom Relief

For the most part, light-headedness is a problem that can be easily relieved. Here's how.

Drink plenty of fluids. If you become dehydrated, your blood pressure will drop and you might feel light-headed. Drinking at least six eight-ounce glasses of water every day will help prevent this problem.

Don't forget to eat regularly. Skipping meals can result in low blood sugar, a common cause of light-headedness, says Dennis O'Leary, Ph.D., director of the Balance Center at the University of Southern California University Hospital in Los Angeles.

Indulge your sweet tooth. If you suspect your light-headedness is caused by low blood sugar, then try eating a piece of candy or chocolate or drinking a glass of orange juice with a teaspoon of sugar added. That may be all you need to do to relieve the problem, says Ronald Amedee, M.D., associate professor of head and neck surgery at Tulane University Medical Center in New Orleans.

Cool off. Hot, humid days can drain the body of fluids and make you feel light-headed. "My advice in that situation is to get into an air-conditioned room and drink at least a couple of glasses of water, and you'll probably feel a lot better very quickly," Dr. Amedee says.

Reel in your drugs. Some drugs, particularly those used to treat high blood pressure, can cause light-headedness, Dr. Amedee says. Ask your doctor to review your medications with you.

Bow your head. If you feel light-headed, lie down or lower your head between your legs. That will increase blood flow to your brain and heart and reduce your chances of fainting, doctors say.

Brown-bag it. Often, hyperventilation causes light-headedness because overbreathing decreases the amount of oxygen and increases levels of carbon dioxide in your body. If you are hyperventilating, try holding your breath for several seconds or place a paper bag over your nose and mouth and take slow, deep breaths until the light-headedness is gone.

See also Fainting