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.
Check if you have 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
Non-urgent advice: 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.
Dizziness while you're ill with something else
Dizziness often goes away after you're treated for something else. For example:
Dizziness for no obvious reason
| Dizziness symptoms | Possible causes |
|---|---|
|
When standing or sitting up suddenly |
Sudden drop in blood pressure (postural hypotension) |
|
Feeling off-balance, losing some hearing, ringing or other sounds in your ears (tinnitus) |
Inner-ear problems |
|
Feeling off-balance or like things are spinning, feeling or being sick, sometimes after a cold or flu |
|
|
After starting new prescription medicine |
Side effect of medicine |
Page last reviewed: 21 April 2023
Next review due: 21 April 2026