Lightheadedness

Have you ever stood up suddenly, felt the room spinning, saw stars, and thought, "hmmm, maybe being upright is not the best decision right now?” That's lightheadedness, a common and ick-inducing feeling that you might faint, fall, or stumble into something. You can be lightheaded for lots of different reasons, like dehydration, low blood pressure, stress, you forgot to eat (and the clock in your office is reading 3 pm, oops!)…or it could be a sign of something more serious. You might feel lightheaded, for example, if you have vertigo (which is a sensation of movement or spinning), or it can be a symptom of low blood sugar if you have diabetes. Some people with mold illness or Lyme also experience dizzy or lightheaded feelings. The immediate risk of lightheadedness is that you might faint and hurt yourself, so don't ignore it. Sit down, let it pass, and ask for help if you need it. Drink some water or orange juice. Seriously, there’s no reason to “tough it out” with lightheadedness—that may only make things worse! If you frequently feel lightheaded, talk to your practitioner so they can help you figure out what’s going on.