What should you know about a spell of dizziness?

Brief spinning brought on by head movement can occur with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Dizziness after sweating, poor fluid intake or heat may occur with dehydration or heat exhaustion. A racing or irregular heartbeat, tiredness, shakiness, or anxiety can point the clinician toward different possibilities, including atrial fibrillation, anaemia, hypoglycaemia or anxiety-related symptoms.

Sit or lie down somewhere safe, move slowly, and avoid driving or climbing until the feeling has settled. If you can, record your position, food and fluid intake, medicines, pulse symptoms and other features. Arrange an assessment if spells recur, interfere with walking, or accompany hearing change, headache, vomiting or fainting.

Call emergency services for dizziness with new weakness or numbness on one side, trouble speaking, severe chest pain, severe breathlessness, collapse, a sudden severe headache, or inability to walk safely. Seek urgent help after a head injury or when a fainting episode occurs during exertion.

Tell the clinician exactly what the sensation felt like and what you were doing when it started. Ask whether you need blood pressure, heart rhythm, blood tests or an ear and balance assessment, and whether iron deficiency anaemia or another cause should be checked.