Dizziness as a disorder is defined by a dimmed vision, confusion, light-headedness, or a brief loss of consciousness. Fatigue is mental or physical exhaustion that may be triggered by overwork, medication, stress, physical illness, or disease. The symptoms could be related toalcoholism,substance abuse, or strict dieting. For people experiencing dizziness and tired, the causes are many, ranging from light to severe.
Reasons Why You Are Feeling Dizzy and Tired
1. Pregnancy
Early pregnancy is the most common cause of fatigue and dizziness in females of childbearing years. Even before a pregnancy test shows positive, hormonal changes are occurring that cause your blood vessels to dilate and push blood away from the muscles and brain, and cause your blood pressure to drop, which might leave you lightheaded or dizzy. Fatigue ranks high among first trimester symptoms as levels of the hormone progesterone increases dramatically, which can make you feel sleepy.
2. Menopause
Dizziness and fatigue are common symptoms of menopause, and are caused by hormonal fluctuations. As the levels of these hormones change they can effect circulation and blood vessels, resulting in dizziness as blood pressure fluctuates. There are other symptoms of the menopause that can also make some women feeling dizzy and tired, including anxiety, stress, hot panic attacks, or flushes, and normal sleep patterns that are interrupted, leaving some women struggling to achieve adequate restful sleep.
3. Anemia
Hemoglobin is a component of red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the heart, where it is distributed to other parts of the body. If you don't have enough hemoglobin, your heart works harder to move oxygen rich blood throughout your body. A drop in hemoglobin results in dizziness, fatigue, and in some cases, shortness of breath. Iron deficiency is a common cause, however, a lack of other nutrients such as vitamin B12 or folate can also cause anemia.
4. Low Blood Pressure
Symptoms of low blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension) include dizziness, light-headedness, and fainting. These symptoms often present when individuals go from the sitting or lying position, to the standing position suddenly. Orthostatic hypotension is often mild, lasting a couple of seconds to a few minutes after standing. However, long-lasting orthostatic hypotension can be a sign of more serious problems caused by heart failure, hypothyroidism, low blood sugar, or dehydration. It's even more important to see a physician if you lose consciousness, even briefly.
5. Malnutrition
Malnutrition occurs when you’re not consuming a balanced diet complete with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. It also can be caused by not eating enough food or not properly digesting or absorbing the food you do eat, and contributes to people feeling dizzy and tired. If you are malnourished, your dizziness and fatigue will continue to get worse without treatment.
6. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), despite adequate rest, is characterized by fatigue that persists longer than six months. Symptoms associated with CFS include joint and muscle pain, impaired concentration, and headaches. The problem is that the name CFS no longer is used to describe one disorder, such as myalgic encephalopathy (ME), but several. ME for example, is not normal fatigue, but a reduction in muscle strength after minimal exertion, and a delay of up to 5 days in the return of normal muscle strength.
7. Dehydration
Dehydration can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on how much of your body weight is lost through fluids. Drinks containing caffeine or alcohol can significantly contribute to dehydration, especially when consumed in large quantities. Two early signs of dehydration are dark-coloured urine and thirst. Other symptoms may include headache, tiredness, dry mouth, lips and eyes and dizziness or light-headedness.
8. Common Cold or Influenza
Besides feeling dizzy and tired, the main symptoms of the common cold and influenza are usually nasal congestion, a runny nose, and sneezing. However, if accompanied by an inner ear infection (labyrinthitis) caused by a viral infection, such as the common cold or flu, the labyrinth becomes inflamed and can cause vertigo and dizziness.
9. Acute Stress
Acute stress is short-term stress that goes away quickly. Your body reacts by releasing hormones that make your brain more alert, cause your muscles to tense, and increase your pulse. When the stress is acute, it produces a variety of symptoms, including light-headedness, palpitations, blurred visions, numbness, flushing, feeling of fainting and tingling sensation around the mouth and hands.
10. Medication
Certain commonly prescribed medications, such as diuretics, opiates, or those that dilate blood vessels (nitroglycerin), may cause dizziness. Some of the most popular medications, including those that control high blood pressure or alter the neurochemistry of the brain, can intensify or cause dizziness. Blood-pressure medications may also slow down the pumping action of the heart as well as depressing the entire central nervous system, or, in the case of diuretics, deplete vitamins and minerals that leave you feeling dizzy and tired.
11. Altitude Sickness
This occurs when you cannot get enough oxygen from the air at high altitudes. Air is thinner at high altitudes, and when you go too high too fast, your body cannot get as much oxygen as it needs. So you need to breathe faster, and this causes dizziness and fatigue along with other symptoms of altitude sickness, and is quite similar to a hangover. Moreover, the symptoms may not start until a day after you have been at a high altitude.
12. Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation occurs when the lack of restful sleep is severe enough to compromise basic body functions and thinking. Adults need seven to nine hours each night to avoid sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, lack of concentration, dizziness, irritability, and depression. It also is linked to weight gain and may increase the risk of heart disease.
13. Stroke
When oxygen and blood to the brain are cut off, it’s called a stroke. Nerve cells in the brain begin to die, usually within three or four minutes. You may suddenly have numbness or weakness on one side, a severe headache, trouble walking, speaking or other symptoms. Stroke is a medical emergency and needs to be treated immediately, even if symptoms seem to go away.