Dizziness is a common and uncomfortable symptom of many different medical conditions. It’s usually nothing to worry about. Dizziness when lying down can have different causes than other types of dizziness.
Feeling dizzy can affect your quality of life, and you may even be at risk of falling and injuring yourself if you feel lightheaded or off balance. If you feel off balance or like the room is spinning when you lie down, there are treatments that can help.
Causes of Dizziness When Lying Down
Migraines, colds, or ear infections are common causes of dizziness. Less commonly, dizziness can be a sign of a serious medical emergency, such as a stroke or brain tumor. A common cause of severe dizziness when lying down is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), which is not dangerous and can be treated with simple exercises.
Dizziness Lying Down when an Emergency
Dizziness can be a sign of a serious medical condition, especially when accompanied by other symptoms. If you have dizziness along with other worrisome sensations, it is important to call 911 immediately.
Serious causes of dizziness and related symptoms include:
- Heart attack: Can cause dizziness along with shortness of breath and chest pain.
- Stroke: Can cause dizziness along with weakness on one side of the body, changes in vision, confusion, or changes in consciousness.
- Brain tumor: Can cause dizziness along with headache, seizures, or weakness on one side of the body.
- Tumor in the ear canal: Can cause dizziness along with hearing loss or ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
A heart attack or stroke can be fatal, but prompt treatment can save your life. Tumors can also be life-threatening, so prompt diagnosis and treatment can improve your outcome.
Treatment to prevent dizziness
If you experience dizziness when lying down or doing other things, this can affect your quality of life. Chronic or recurring dizziness can make you miserable.
Treatment for dizziness depends on the cause. In the short term, the best thing to do is to find the most comfortable position. Staying hydrated, avoiding stress, and getting plenty of rest can also help.
Treatment is also needed to ensure that dizziness does not return.
Treatments may include:
1. Exercises for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
If you have benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), your doctor or physical therapist may instruct you in exercises such as the Epley maneuver, which helps move misplaced calcium crystals (otoliths) in the inner ear back into place, thereby reducing vertigo symptoms.
2. Treatment for vestibular migraines
In people with vestibular migraines, vertigo can occur even without a headache. In this case, your doctor may prescribe specific medications such as anticonvulsants, beta-blockers, or tricyclic antidepressants to control symptoms.
3. Balance Therapy
For people with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s, peripheral nerve damage, or hearing loss, specialized physical therapy can help improve balance, train reflexes, and reduce the risk of falls.
4. Treating tumors or other serious illnesses
In cases of dizziness caused by brain tumors or other serious illnesses, treatment may include surgery, steroid therapy, or chemotherapy, depending on the nature and extent of the damage.
5. Stabilizing blood pressure
Dizziness can be caused by rapid fluctuations in blood pressure, especially postural hypotension. In this case, the use of blood pressure regulating drugs, combined with adjustments to diet and lifestyle, will help control the condition.
6. Additional treatment if anemia is present
Anemia (especially iron deficiency) causes the brain to not receive enough oxygen, causing dizziness and lightheadedness. Treatment of anemia with iron, vitamin B12, or dietary changes is necessary in this case.
You can have dizziness for many reasons, which can worsen the symptoms. Diagnostic tests will help identify all the causes of dizziness so that you can treat it.
