Light-headedness is a feeling of getting ready to pass out or lose consciousness. Many people never completely pass out, but the sensation is generally not a comfortable one. Some symptoms may also experience overall weakness, rapid heartbeat, sweating and inability to stand up or maintain balance. While occasional light-headedness may have no known medical cause, frequent symptoms may be a sign of an underlying medical condition.
Anemia
Anemia is a condition that involves low counts of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood. Anemia occurs when the body begins to decrease the overall production of red blood cells or hemoglobin or when there is internal bleeding or a loss of a large amount of blood. Underlying medical conditions and disease can cause anemia, or it can occur naturally. Anemia can cause light-headedness. If not properly diagnosed, anemia can cause an irregular heart rate and a low oxygen levels, called hypoxia.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is a form of low blood sugar levels in the human body. This can be a natural process, or it can be caused by someone, such as a diabetic, who has injected too much insulin into his body. Just as high blood sugar is damaging to the body, so is low blood sugar. Blood sugar levels under 50 mg can lead to dizziness, light-headedness and eventually syncope, or passing out. This is a dangerous condition and can lead to a diabetic coma and eventually death if not treated. A high amount of glucose or raw sugar is needed to bring blood sugar levels up and prevent syncope or coma.
Pregnancy
One of the earliest signs of pregnancy can be light-headedness. The reason for this may be because of the fluctuating hormone levels in the body. Light-headedness is common in the first few weeks and months of pregnancy. Another reason could be a rapid and sharp drop in blood pressure. Eating right, seeking adequate prenatal care and drinking plenty of fluids will help to combat feelings of light-headedness during pregnancy.
Low Blood Pressure
Low blood pressure is where the body's ability to pump blood in and out of the heart is slowed or delayed. Drops in blood pressure can occur for several reasons: standing up too fast, standing in one location for too long, surgery, blood loss, pregnancy, medications and septic shock. Light-headedness usually dissipates once the blood and oxygen flow is reestablished to the brain. This is often just a temporary condition and can be remedied by placing the head between the knees to increase blood flow to the brain or by laying back and relaxing until the light-headedness passes.
Heart Attack
One serious reason for light-headedness and dizziness may be a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when the heart fails to pump blood properly throughout the body, goes into cardiac arrest or stops beating. One of the signs of a heart attack or heart-related condition is light-headedness. Light-headedness, combined with chest pain, tightness, irregular heartbeat and extreme weakness, should be addressed immediately by calling 911 and seeking emergency care at once.
