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Why do you feel dizzy and nauseous?
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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Feeling dizzy and nauseous is a clear violation of the balance system, which includes the brain, sensory organs - vision and hearing, the vestibular system, the peripheral circulatory system, and nerve endings of the entire body. The regulator and main "controller" of balance is the brain, which systematically receives signals from distant organs. With any changes in the signal system or pathologies of the "controller" itself - the brain, the system begins to fail. Initial symptoms may be unusual weakness, dizziness, nausea as an inevitable sign of loss of control by the brain. Loss of balance is called vertigo - a symptom that has its gradations corresponding to the localization of the process.
Causes dizziness and nausea
Central dizziness, vertigo.
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine provokes circulatory disorders, including in the brain, where the balance control center is located.
- Migraine, attacks of which are inevitably accompanied by dizziness and nausea.
- Brain tumors.
- Epilepsy, regardless of type and severity, is accompanied by vertigo and nausea.
- Cerebral circulatory disorders – meningoencephalitis, encephalitis, Lyme disease.
Peripheral dizziness, vertigo.
- Meniere's disease is a pathological increase in fluid in the inner ear cavity.
- Traumatic injury to the ear.
- Vestibular neuritis, neuronitis - impaired blood circulation in the vestibular apparatus.
If dizziness is centrally localized and there are typical vegetative disorders - mild nausea, vertigo usually goes away on its own.
Peripheral vertigo is more severe in terms of symptoms, as it is accompanied by severe arrhythmia, nausea is often accompanied by vomiting and weakness.
Vertigo can also be caused by chronic hypotension, or more precisely, orthostatic hypotension. The collapse syndrome characteristic of this condition occurs with a sharp change in body position. For example, with a quick change in posture or when bending over, getting out of bed. Changing from a horizontal position to a vertical one in hypotensive patients often causes typical signs of vertigo, when the head is spinning and nausea.
Hypoglycemia or starvation at the digestive level, decreased blood sugar levels. Lack of glucose dramatically reduces the brain's ability to control balance, as a result - dizziness and nausea.
Oxygen starvation, which has a detrimental effect on the brain. Hypoxia forces the brain to conserve its resources, and it switches off some conscious functions, including control of the body's balance, in order to survive.
Physiological causes - motion sickness on the road, on rides. The dissonance between what the organs feel and what the eyes see, watching waves or moving objects outside the window of a car, train, provokes vertigo, not associated with any disease.
DPG is the name of a rather mysterious symptom that has not been fully studied. Benign positional vertigo can be a consequence of a healed head or ear injury, and DPG is also a typical symptom of an alcohol hangover.
Feeling dizzy and nauseous due to a panic attack. This is a mental state when fear literally paralyzes a person without objective reasons other than his consciousness. Uncontrollable attacks are often accompanied by stupor, vertigo.
Drug intoxication can also cause dizziness with nausea. These symptoms are reflexive, as the body tries to get rid of toxic substances as quickly as possible by vomiting.
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Treatment dizziness and nausea
Let's list the simplest methods that can help if you feel dizzy and nauseous.
- Orthostatic hypotension. Any change in body position should be done as slowly as possible. Getting out of bed should be done in a special way: turn over on your side, hang your legs, then sit down, then stand up. It is necessary to eliminate the habit that neurologists call "the upper half of the body runs ahead." In hypotensive patients, the blood flow to the head is slowed down, so in this sense, the upper part of the body should follow the torso.
- Hypoglycemia, when you feel dizzy and nauseous, and your whole body weakens to the point of shaking (tremor). A candy, a piece of sugar, even a small slice of bread can save the situation. In order not to bring yourself to fainting from hunger, you need to follow a diet, in case of prolonged, chronic manifestations of vertigo, you need to see a neurologist.
- The lack of oxygen is compensated by elementary ventilation and walks. If neither fresh air nor promenades help the situation, a neurologist's consultation is needed. You should not delay a visit to the doctor, otherwise oxygen starvation can damage important parts of the brain.
- The physiological cause of vertigo, when the head spins and nausea occurs with any movement on transport or visiting attractions, is eliminated with the help of special means - Vertigo Hel, Betaserk. Sleeping during travel is also effective, then the movement seen by the eyes does not conflict with the position of the body.
- DPG, which is accompanied by the characteristic symptom of "everything is swimming" before the eyes, is eliminated by persistent, long-term training exercises. The vestibular apparatus can be trained and dizziness and nausea can be neutralized. If DPG is caused by alcohol, then the method of help is simple and banal - you should exclude alcoholic drinks from your life. Hangover symptoms are relieved by Medichronal, Glycesed and further refusal from alcohol.
When you feel dizzy and nauseous due to Meniere's disease, craniocerebral trauma, panic attacks, epilepsy, self-medication is unacceptable and even dangerous. In these cases, medical assistance, comprehensive examination and long-term treatment are needed.