Dizziness in older adults is quite common and is usually not serious.
However, dizziness can significantly increase the risk of falls in older adults, which can have serious consequences. Falls are especially dangerous for older adults because their bodies are more susceptible to injury and can be much harder and slower to recover as they age.
What are some common symptoms experienced by older adults?
Dizziness is a term that can include a variety of symptoms. If an older person experiences what they describe as dizziness, this may include:
- Feeling that things around them are moving when they are not, even when they are standing still
- Feeling off balance when doing normal daily activities like standing or walking
- Feeling lightheaded or faint
- Feeling extremely tired for no apparent reason
- Ringing in the ears, hearing sounds that no one else can hear
- Vision problems, suddenly having a disturbance in normal vision, such as black spots.
What causes it?
There can be many different causes of dizziness in older people, and sometimes dizziness can be a symptom of a more serious medical condition or a sign that something else is going on.
Some of the most common causes of dizziness in older adults include:
- Inner ear problems: A common cause of dizziness, often referred to as vertigo, is problems with the inner ear. This can be due to things like migraines, ear infections, or a condition called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).
- Medication side effects: Many older adults take multiple medications to manage a variety of health conditions and may occasionally experience side effects, including dizziness, due to new medications or interactions between different medications they are taking. Most of the time, dizziness is likely to be temporary as the body adjusts and will resolve on its own, but this is not always the case. Any persistent side effects that are concerning should be discussed with their family doctor as there may be other medication management options to explore.
- Abnormal blood pressure: Older adults whose blood pressure is considered higher or lower than normal may experience dizziness. Learn more about blood pressure problems in older adults.
- Iron deficiency: Low iron levels can cause a person to feel dizzy or faint. It is important to get tested for this condition as it can be an easily treatable condition if diagnosed with iron deficiency.
- Low blood sugar: Low blood sugar, known as hypoglycemia, can cause dizziness. Some potentially related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, are more common in older adults, so it is worth asking for testing.
- Dehydration: Staying hydrated is important for older adults, as dehydration can cause a number of problems and feeling dizzy is often an early sign that they need to drink more water.
- Overheating or heatstroke: Sadly, heat-related deaths in older adults are on the rise, with older adults at higher risk because their bodies are less able to regulate their temperature as they age. People with other medical conditions, such as asthma or heart disease, may be at higher risk during a heatwave. Dizziness is often an early sign that someone is overheating and needs to be cooled down quickly and rehydrated to prevent the condition from getting worse.
- Spine or neck problems: Some degenerative conditions of the spine and neck are common in older people, with conditions such as osteoarthritis developing due to natural wear and tear over the years. Along with symptoms such as back pain, older people who begin to experience spine or neck problems may also experience dizziness.
- Anxiety: Anxiety and panic attacks can often lead to dizziness because the body’s response to stress can make breathing much more difficult.
- Heart problems: Some heart conditions can cause dizziness if the blood does not deliver enough oxygen to the body.
- Neurological problems: Some neurological conditions can cause dizziness because the signals the brain sends to the body are disrupted. Effective diagnosis and treatment of the underlying condition will usually resolve any dizziness it causes.
- Hearing or vision problems: Many people begin to experience changes in their vision or hearing as they age, and sometimes these changes can lead to dizziness as the body tries to adjust. Any suspected eye health problems or hearing loss should be checked by a specialist.
How to treat dizziness in older adults?
Treatment for dizziness will depend largely on what is causing the problem, specifically:
- Some tests may be needed to see if there is an undiagnosed medical condition causing the dizziness, or some existing medications may need to be changed if that seems to be the root cause of the problem.
- Although dizziness cannot usually be treated directly, if the cause of the problem is addressed, the dizziness will often decrease or stop completely.
