Dizziness is a common experience that people may experience with certain sensations. Some of these include lightheadedness, loss of balance, and disorientation. It can range from mild discomfort to severe imbalance, often making daily tasks difficult. In some cases, dizziness may be accompanied by a spinning sensation known as vertigo.
Dizziness usually doesn’t come on completely out of the blue. Before the dizziness strikes, your body silently sends out warning signals, small but very clear signs if you really listen. Recognizing the signs early will not only help you prepare mentally, but can also help you avoid dangerous accidents such as falls, collisions, or even fainting.
What are the warning signs of an impending dizziness?
Here are the six most common signs:
1. Feeling light-headed, as if floating
One of the most common early signs is a feeling of lightness, as if your head is no longer connected to the rest of your body. Some people describe it as feeling like you’re walking on clouds, or like you’ve just stood up too quickly. Even though you’re still awake, working, or walking normally, something in your body starts to sound the alarm.
This symptom usually appears a few minutes to a few dozen minutes before the actual dizziness occurs. If you notice it, you can stop, sit down, and rest, which is sometimes enough to stop the dizziness from developing further.
2. Transient blurred vision or a feeling of not being able to focus your eyes
When the vestibular system starts to lose control, one of the first organs to be affected is your eyes. You may start to feel like your vision is blurry, you can’t focus on a single point, or things are flickering in and out of focus. This is not exactly dizziness, but a form of visual disorientation.
Some people also find that light becomes more uncomfortable or more sensitive than usual. Going from dark to light (or vice versa) makes them stagger because their eyes do not have time to adapt, causing a temporary feeling of imbalance. This is a sign to pay attention to, especially if it happens repeatedly in a short period of time.
3. A vague feeling of discomfort in the neck or ears
Many people before a dizziness attack feel a slight pressure, tightness or slight pain in the back of the neck, spreading to the back of the head. This is an area near the vestibular system, important sensory nerves and blood vessels. Sometimes you also feel tinnitus, temporary hearing loss or a slight buzzing in the ears, these are signs that often appear before a dizziness attack due to an inner ear disorder or Meniere’s disease.
This is when you should stop activities that require high concentration such as driving, climbing stairs or using machinery. Continued exertion may make the condition worse.
4. Stiff neck and mild headache
Before a vertigo attack, neck muscle tension, a feeling of the back of the neck being squeezed, or a dull headache on both sides of the temples may be warning signs. These symptoms are often related to reduced blood circulation to the brain, cervical spine disorders, or intracranial vascular pressure.
If you feel like your head is heavy, it is difficult to bend forward or you just want to sit still without moving your head, this is your body’s natural reflex to protect the balance system from a disturbance. Listen to this feeling instead of trying to continue working as if nothing happened.
5. Shallow breathing, palpitations, or unusual fatigue
Some people sense an attack of vertigo through their breathing. They begin to breathe quickly, feel short of breath, and feel a lack of oxygen even when sitting still. Their heart rate may increase slightly, and they may feel nervous, their heart rate may increase, as if something is about to go wrong.
These symptoms are not only a reaction of the autonomic nervous system, but also a sign that the brain is suffering from a mild lack of blood or oxygen, which is an ideal condition for dizziness to develop. When you feel these things, sitting down, breathing slowly, evenly and deeply is a simple but effective way to prevent dizziness from developing.
6. Mild nausea, loss of appetite, or transient digestive disorders
Not everyone knows that the vestibular system is closely linked to the vomiting control center and the digestive system. Before dizziness occurs, you may feel mild nausea, gnawing, loss of appetite, or a feeling of fullness for no apparent reason. Many people ignore this signal because they think it is due to indigestion. But if combined with other signs such as lightheadedness, transient blurred vision, rapid heartbeat, then it is very likely that a severe attack of dizziness is about to occur.
