10 Simultaneous causes of dizziness and nausea and how to deal with them

You may experience dizziness or nausea during activities. This condition can happen to anyone, even healthy people, and is often caused by simple things, such as dehydration, lack of sleep, and other causes. However, what if dizziness and nausea occur at the same time? Is this condition dangerous and how to deal with it?

What is the link between dizziness and nausea?

Dizziness is a term used to describe various sensations, such as dizziness, spinning, lightheadedness, and sometimes accompanied by a feeling of weakness and unsteadiness such as fainting. Meanwhile, nausea is discomfort in the stomach that causes the urge to expel the contents of the stomach through the mouth (vomiting).

Dizziness or nausea can occur independently of various causes, but both often occur simultaneously. The reason is, the nervous system in the brain that triggers dizziness and nausea is intertwined.

Reporting from the Vestibular Disorder Association, one of the causes of dizziness is a sudden or temporary change in the balance sensor activity in the inner ear or balance sensor connected to certain parts of the brain. The part of the brain that processes sensory activity is the same part that controls the abdominal muscles and plays a role in triggering nausea and vomiting, so the dizziness that can occur can coincide with nausea.

The causes of dizziness and nausea appear simultaneously

Dizziness can be caused by many things. Likewise with nausea. This sensation of wanting to vomit can indicate a variety of health problems. If dizziness and nausea occur at the same time, most likely the cause is:

1. Migraine

Migraines are attacks of severe headaches that feel throbbing badly or are in the form of extreme pain such as being hit by a hard object. Migraine attacks are usually long lasting, can last for hours and may recur for days. Migraines usually affect only one part of the head.

A feeling of intense dizziness and nausea are common migraine symptoms. These two symptoms often appear together because migraine is classified as a neurological disorder. Migraine attacks cause disturbances in the central nervous system of the brain, thereby disrupting the transmission of signals to the digestive system. As a result, when you have a migraine, you can also feel dizzy and nauseous at the same time.

2. Motion sickness

Motion sickness can occur when you are traveling by car, plane, ship or train. This condition occurs when the central nervous system receives messages that are different from the visual system (eye) and the vestibular system in the inner ear.

For example, when you are traveling while driving a car while reading a book, your inner ear and skin receptors will detect motion from a moving car. However, your eyes only see the pages of the book you are reading. As a result of these differences in messages, the parts of the brain that receive these strange signals will develop dizziness and nausea, as well as difficulty maintaining balance.

3. Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a cause of dizziness and nausea that can occur in women. This occurs due to an increase in the HCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin) at the beginning of pregnancy that can make women experience morning sickness, which is a condition characterized by dizziness and morning sickness.

4. Vertigo

Vertigo is a severe headache that makes sufferers feel as if they are floating or spinning (kliyengan) so that they lose their balance. The cause is a disturbance in the inner ear which functions to regulate the balance of the body. The inner ear disorders can occur due to head injury or ear infection.

The inner part of the ear that is damaged cannot send signals to the brain as it should. As a result, the signals given to the brain are conflicting, which can lead to dizziness, vertigo, and nausea.

5. Digestive infections

Infections in the digestive tract, such as vomiting, can cause you to feel dizzy and nauseous. These two symptoms appear because germs that cause disease (viruses, bacteria, or parasites) damage the digestive tract, causing it to become inflamed.

While the immune system works to fight infection, the inflammation it produces can cause nausea. Persistently severe nausea and vomiting can eventually cause dizziness because the body is dehydrated.

6. Psychological problems

Dizziness and nausea can be symptoms of a variety of psychological problems, such as stress, anxiety disorders, or panic attacks. This is believed to be because the parts of the brain that play a role in causing dizziness and nausea interact with the areas of the brain responsible for psychological problems. Thus, dizziness and nausea can occur when you experience stress or anxiety disorders.

7. Consuming alcohol

Consuming too much alcohol can cause dizziness which is often accompanied by nausea. The reason is, the alcohol you consume can thin your blood, which can change the fluid balance in the inner ear. This condition can cause a sensation of dizziness which can lead to nausea.

8. Certain drugs

Not only alcohol, taking certain drugs can also cause side effects in the form of dizziness and nausea, especially if the drug affects brain function. Some of these drugs, namely antidepressants, anticonvulsants, blood pressure, antipsychotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and some antibiotics.

9. Low blood sugar levels

Low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) can cause a variety of symptoms, including nausea and vomiting. This condition is usually experienced by diabetics who consume too many drugs

Meanwhile, diabetics can also experience low blood sugar due to consuming too much diabetes medication. However, low blood sugar can also occur in people who do not have diabetes.

10. Brain tumor

In more serious and severe conditions, dizziness accompanied by nausea can be a sign that you have a brain tumor. When a tumor grows in the brain, it can press on brain tissue or block the flow of fluid in the brain.

This condition can cause increased pressure inside the skull called increased intracranial pressure (ICP). The effect of this condition is that various symptoms appear, including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and headaches.

How to deal with dizziness and nausea?

Treating nausea and dizziness that come at the same time can be different for each person. This depends on the condition causing the dizziness and nausea to occur. If the cause is resolved, the dizziness and nausea that you experience can subside.

For example, if you experience dizziness and nausea from migraines, you may need medication for migraines, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. In addition, you can also try other ways to treat migraines, such as drinking lots of water, getting adequate rest, and regular exercise.

However, if you experience dizziness accompanied by nausea due to low blood sugar levels, you can try to increase your carbohydrate intake or eat sugary foods and drinks, such as fruit juices, soft drinks, or candy. You may also need other treatment from a doctor to help overcome the problem.

Meanwhile, if dizziness and nausea occur as a result of consuming these drugs, stopping or adjusting the dosage of drugs can be a solution. Make sure you talk to your doctor if you suspect this in yourself.

Apart from those mentioned above, you can also take several drugs that relieve vertigo, dizziness, and nausea, such as antihistamines or anticholinergics. However, always make sure you consult your doctor first whether you need these drugs or not.

Conditions that require seeing a doctor

Generally, dizziness accompanied by nausea is not a serious condition. These symptoms may subside once the underlying condition goes away, such as motion sickness. However, this condition can also be a sign that you have a serious disorder, which needs to be treated by a doctor to resolve it.

You should check with your doctor if complaints of dizziness and nausea persist for several days, do not heal, and begin to interfere with your daily activities. In addition, also consult a doctor if your new symptoms are brief but feel very heavy and are accompanied by the following additional symptoms:

• Stiff neck.
• Numbness, tingling, or even paralysis in one part of the body.
• Change in speech or suddenly become slurred.
• Difficulty walking.
• Seizures.
• Sudden hearing changes.
• Changes in vision or double vision.
• Fainting.
• Recently had a head injury.
• Chest pain.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Fast or irregular heartbeat.

In this condition, the doctor will perform various tests to diagnose whether the symptoms you are experiencing are related to certain disorders or diseases. The doctor can also advise what things to avoid and how to treat them primarily. Consult with your doctor for the type of examination and treatment that suits your condition.