Why Do I Feel Dizzy? Vertigo, BPPV and When to Get Help

Dizziness can mean feeling lightheaded, feeling unsteady, or feeling like the room is spinning, and the cause isn't always the same. In this episode, AMie Rice Mooyman, Vestibular & BPPV Physiotherapist at Advantage Healthcare & Physiotherapy in Wynnum, Brisbane, talks through the most common reasons people feel dizzy, from the inner ear to changes in blood pressure, the neck and certain medications.

She explains what to do the moment a dizzy spell starts, and why sitting or lying down somewhere safe comes before anything else. If you feel lightheaded when you get out of bed or stand up from a chair, she covers simple ways to make that move safer, along with the role of drinking enough water, keeping your blood sugar steady and checking your medications with your GP.

Amie also explains BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), one of the most common causes of spinning when you roll over in bed or lie back. Tiny calcium carbonate crystals in the inner ear can come loose and drift into the semicircular canals, where they tell your brain your head is moving fast when it isn't. She explains why it's worth having an assessment before trying exercises you find online, since the right repositioning technique depends on which canal the crystals have moved into.

The second half she covers changes around the home that lower your risk of a fall, what to take note of when you feel dizzy so your physio or GP can work out what's going on, and the signs that mean you should stop managing it at home and get help.

Timestamps
 0:00 What causes dizziness
 0:34 What to do when you start feeling dizzy
 1:18 Feeling lightheaded when you stand up
 2:12 Spinning when you roll over or lie back (BPPV)
 3:08 Should you try exercises from the internet?
 3:54 Simple changes around the home
 4:54 What to notice when you feel dizzy
 5:50 When to get help

Watch the video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCi8DIYQT4U
Vestibular physiotherapy at Advantage Healthcare: https://advantagehealth.net.au/vestibular-physiotherapy/

Advantage Healthcare & Physiotherapy
 90 Tingal Rd, Wynnum QLD 4178 | 07 3396 7775
 https://advantagehealth.net.au/

This episode is general information and isn't a substitute for an individual assessment. If dizziness comes on suddenly with weakness down one side, trouble speaking or swallowing, chest pain, or you suddenly can't walk, call 000.