Author's details
- Dada Hannah Prayer
- BSc Anatomy, MSc Anatomy (in view)
Reviewer's details
- Dr. Khashau Eleburuike.
- MBBS (Ilorin) MSc. Global Health Karolinska Institutet. SFAM, Socialstyrelsen.
- Consultant in family medicine in Norrbotten County Sweden.
- Date Published: 2026-05-05
- Date Updated: 2026-05-05
What Causes Dizziness and How Is It Treated?
Key Messages
- Dizziness is a symptom, not a disease. The best treatment depends on the cause.
- Common triggers include heat, dehydration, skipping meals, poor sleep, and standing up too quickly.
- Spinning dizziness, especially when turning in bed or looking up, may come from the inner ear and needs a different approach.
- Go to a clinic/hospital urgently if dizziness comes with chest pain, fainting, one-sided weakness, speech problems, severe headache, breathing difficulty, blurred vision, or seizures.
- In malaria-endemic areas, test before treating malaria, especially when there is no fever avoid repeated self-medication or multiple herbal mixtures.
Dizziness is a common complaint. People may describe it as feeling lightheaded, weak, unsteady, like they may faint, or like the room is spinning.
Sometimes the cause is simple (for example, heat, not drinking enough water, skipping meals, or lack of sleep). At other times, dizziness can be a sign of an illness that needs medical attention.
Knowing the common causes and the danger signs can help you decide what to do at home and when to go to a clinic or hospital.
What Is Dizziness?
Dizziness is not a disease on its own. It is a symptom, meaning it can happen for many different reasons.
People describe dizziness in different ways, such as:
- Feeling faint or like you may pass out
- Lightheadedness
- Loss of balance or unsteady walking
- Spinning sensation (vertigo)
- Weaknesses
- Confusion or “head not clear”
The type of dizziness you feel can give a clue about the cause, but a healthcare worker may still need to check you.
Common Causes of Dizziness
- Dehydration
Not drinking enough fluids especially in hot weather, during farm work/market work, or during illness can reduce blood flow to the brain and cause dizziness.
Excessive sweating, vomiting, diarrhoea, or prolonged fasting may also contribute to dehydration.
If you suspect dehydration, start with small frequent sips of clean water. If you also have diarrhoea or vomiting, oral rehydration solution (ORS) is often better than water alone.
- Low Blood Sugar
Skipping meals or going long hours without eating can cause low blood sugar. This may lead to weakness, shaking, sweating, fast heartbeat, and dizziness.
This is more common in people with diabetes, but it can also occur in people without diabetes.
If dizziness is from hunger, sit down and take a snack or meal (for example, fruit, pap/ogi with milk, bread, rice, beans, yam, or any balanced meal available). People living with diabetes should be careful with medicines like insulin or sulfonylureas and seek advice if low sugar happens often.
- Sudden Drop in Blood Pressure
Standing up too quickly after sitting or lying down may briefly reduce blood flow to the brain, causing dizziness or lightheadedness.
This is called postural (orthostatic) hypotension.
Tip: when rising from bed, first sit for 1-2 minutes, move your feet, then stand up slowly. Hold onto a stable support if needed.
- Inner Ear Problems
The inner ear helps control balance. Conditions affecting the ear can cause a type of dizziness where a person feels as though the environment is spinning.
Inner ear infections and conditions such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) are common causes.
With BPPV, the spinning often comes when you turn in bed, bend down, or look up. It is uncomfortable but is treated differently from malaria or “low blood.”
- Anaemia
Anaemia occurs when the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells to transport oxygen properly. This can lead to tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath, and dizziness.
Iron deficiency anaemia is common, especially with heavy menstrual bleeding, pregnancy, recent childbirth, poor diet, or worm infestation.
If you suspect anaemia, a simple blood test at a clinic can help confirm it. Avoid taking iron tablets for long periods without advice, because not all anaemia is due to iron deficiency.
- Stress and Anxiety
Emotional stress, panic attacks, and anxiety may sometimes trigger dizziness, especially when accompanied by rapid breathing and lack of sleep.
- Medical Conditions
Other illnesses can also cause dizziness, such as malaria (especially with fever), other infections, high or low blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems, and some brain conditions.
In malaria-endemic areas, it is safer to confirm malaria with a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) or microscopy before treatment, especially if dizziness happens without fever.
Some medications may also have dizziness as a side effect.
When Dizziness May Be Serious
Although many cases are mild, dizziness should not always be ignored.
If you suddenly feel dizzy, sit or lie down right away to prevent a fall. Do not drive or climb heights until you feel normal.
Seek urgent medical attention if dizziness occurs with:
chest pain, difficulty speaking, fainting, weakness on one side of the body, severe headache, difficulty breathing, blurred vision, or seizures.
These symptoms may indicate a more serious medical emergency such as stroke or heart disease.
In many African settings
Many people quickly assume dizziness is malaria and may take antimalarial drugs without testing. Malaria can cause dizziness, but it is not the most common cause of dizziness, and repeated self-treatment can delay the real diagnosis.
- Heat exposure and dehydration (walking long distances, staying in the sun, working in hot environments)
- Long queues or long hours standing (bank, hospital, public transport), especially if you have not eaten
- Poor sleep, stress, and anxiety
- Anaemia from heavy periods, pregnancy, or poor iron intake
- Self-medication (antimalarials, antibiotics, strong painkillers, or multiple herbal mixtures), which may worsen dizziness or hide the true cause
If dizziness is frequent, severe, or keeps coming back, it is best to visit a clinic for checks such as blood pressure, blood sugar, malaria test (if you have fever), and a simple blood test for anaemia.
How Is Dizziness Treated?
Treatment depends on the cause. The steps below are often safe first actions, but go to a clinic if symptoms are severe, you are pregnant, you faint, or the dizziness keeps coming back.
- Sit or lie down immediately and avoid walking without support.
- Drink clean water; use ORS if you have diarrhoea/vomiting.
- Eat a small meal or snack if you have not eaten for many hours.
- Stand up slowly; if you feel dizzy again, sit back down.
- Rest and sleep, especially after long travel, night shifts, or stressful days.
- If you have fever, chills, or body pains, get tested for malaria rather than treating blindly.
- If anaemia is suspected, ask for an Hb/PCV test and follow medical advice on iron and deworming.
If dizziness is persistent or severe, a clinic may check your blood pressure, blood sugar, malaria test (if you have fever), ear examination, and blood count (Hb/PCV) depending on your symptoms.
What Can You Do to Prevent Dizziness?
- To reduce dizziness, you can:
- Drink enough fluids daily (more in hot weather).
- Eat regularly—do not skip breakfast if you will be standing or traveling.
- Stand up slowly from bed or from a chair; avoid sudden movements.
- Protect yourself from heat (shade, light clothing, rest breaks).
- Sleep well and manage stress where possible.
- Limit alcohol and avoid mixing alcohol with medications.
- Avoid self-medication (including repeated antimalarials) without testing or medical advice.
Dizziness can result from simple everyday issues such as dehydration or hunger, but it may also signal an underlying medical condition that needs attention.
Persistent, severe, or recurring dizziness should not be ignored, especially when accompanied by other concerning symptoms. Proper medical evaluation can help identify the cause and guide appropriate treatment.
Related Topics
- Edlow JA, Gurley KL, Newman-Toker DE. A new diagnostic approach to the adult patient with acute dizziness. J Emerg Med. 2018;54(4):469-483. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2017.12.024.
- Bhattacharyya N, Gubbels SP, Schwartz SR, Edlow JA, El-Kashlan H, Fife T, et al. Clinical practice guideline: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (update). Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(3_suppl):S1-S47. doi:10.1177/0194599816689667.
- Freeman R, Wieling W, Axelrod FB, Benditt DG, Benarroch E, Biaggioni I, et al. Consensus statement on the definition of orthostatic hypotension, neurally mediated syncope and the postural tachycardia syndrome. Clin Auton Res. 2011;21(2):69-72. doi:10.1007/s10286-011-0119-5.
- Kerber KA, Callaghan BC, Telian SA, Meurer WJ, Skolarus LE, Carender W, et al. Dizziness symptom type prevalence and overlap: a US nationally representative survey. Am J Med. 2017;130(12):1465.e1-1465.e9. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2017.05.048.
- World Health Organization. WHO guidelines for malaria. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025. doi:10.2471/B09514.
- World Health Organization. WHO guideline on use of ferritin concentrations to assess iron status in individuals and populations. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020.
Key Messages
- Dizziness is a symptom, not a disease. The best treatment depends on the cause.
- Common triggers include heat, dehydration, skipping meals, poor sleep, and standing up too quickly.
- Spinning dizziness, especially when turning in bed or looking up, may come from the inner ear and needs a different approach.
- Go to a clinic/hospital urgently if dizziness comes with chest pain, fainting, one-sided weakness, speech problems, severe headache, breathing difficulty, blurred vision, or seizures.
- In malaria-endemic areas, test before treating malaria, especially when there is no fever avoid repeated self-medication or multiple herbal mixtures.
