dizziness

[Luke Rossmo]

I've been experiencing severe dizziness lately. It is also temporary and only occuring after i've been laying down (reading or watching tv). The bouts of dizziness go away within a few seconds but they are new to me. I've been doing crossfit for nearly three months and this problem is not quite a week old. I would appreciate some thoughts on this, thanks you!!

[Ben Kaminski]

Blood pressure to the head sounds like the culprit if it comes after laying and goes away soon. Maybe a slower resting heart rate could be contributing? Just a guess.

Are you under extra stress or losing sleep?

[Brent Lucas]

You seem to be at a stage where you might be experiencing some fast growth.

Get a blood work done and ask your Dr. about iron levels specifically.

You might be anemic from the heavy workouts if you are not getting enough red meat or iron in some other format.

Sometimes it's normal, but run it by your doctor and get some tests done anyway.

[Susie Rosenberg]

If you feel light-headed when going from supine to standing, the most likely cause is dehydration. Make sure you replace fluids and salt lost in sweat. Other causes can include anemia or heart-related issues, the most common of which is a benign condition called mitral valve prolapse.

If your dizziness feels more like the room is spinning, or your head is spinning, and is accompanied by nausea, you most likely have vertigo. Vertigo is fairly common and most causes are self-limiting and benign; the exception being tumors of acoustic nerve, like acoustic neuroma (itself a slow-growing, benign tumor.)

If you have vertigo, find a doctor who is familiar with the Epley manuevers. (Google it for an explanation.) Many cases of vertigo are caused by little crystals building up in the labyrinth canals of the ear, and the Epley manuevers dislodge the particles and clear the cause of the vertigo.

This is probably TMI but the big thing is first ask yourself if you have dizziness or vertigo; they are very different conditions.

Susie