Can heart problems cause dizziness? This is a question that deserves a serious answer, and, more than anywhere else in the world, in India itself, where factors of lifestyle, along with possibly genetic factors as well, leave the risk scale for heart diseases precariously balanced. Dizziness can be more than just an annoyance; it could be the wake-up call your heart condition has been trying to give you. Understanding this connection helps us know when dizziness may mark a major heart problem and needs a professional's attention—from basic diagnosis to specific interventions like syncope treatment.
This article reveals how specific heart issues can cause dizziness by disturbing blood flow or heart rhythm.
Dizziness & Its Types From Cardiac Standpoint
Can heart issues cause dizziness? Yes, they can. However, dizziness needs to be differentiated from lightheadedness, unsteadiness, and vertigo, each type having diverse possible causes, some of which are associated with the heart:
- Lightheadedness can be induced by a sudden dip in blood pressure, which can occur with heart conditions like orthostatic hypotension or cardiac arrhythmias. These heart issues tend to disrupt blood flow to the brain, leading to lightheadedness.
- Unsteadiness, a state of being unbalanced, could be an indication of a blood flow issue to the brain—cardiovascular diseases that are characterised by poor blood circulation can make people feel unstable or wobbly.
- Vertigo is a sensation of spinning. Although it is commonly associated with inner ear disorders, it can also result from transient ischaemic attacks or strokes, where the blood flow is compromised and leads to severe heart conditions.
Identify the type of dizziness and its link to the heart to ensure professional care and treatment.
Heart Issues That Cause Dizziness
Let us proceed further and discuss the eight main heart issues that cause dizziness in detail:
1. Arrhythmias & Heart Rhythm Disorders
Cardiac arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, can often cause dizziness. Here’s how it occurs: When you feel a fluttering sensation or skipped heartbeat, this can affect the blood flow to your brain, where you can experience dizziness with symptoms such as the following:
- Shortness of breath
- Palpitations
- Chest pain
Do not ignore these symptoms because they indicate heart rhythm irregularities that require immediate medical attention.
Note that the risks of arrhythmia are not just discomfort but also precursors to underlying heart disease or preceding serious cardiac events.
2. Heart Attack & Heart Failure
Heart attacks and heart failure cause dizziness because they reduce brain blood flow. It is very important to understand this link, especially with other symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath.
- Blockage of the arteries during a heart attack may cause a tremendous reduction in blood flow to the brain, thus causing dizziness or lightheadedness.
- Dizziness caused by heart failure is brought about by insufficient blood flow to the brain and organs.
3. Obstruction of Blood Flow
Obstruction of blood supply to the heart: This can be caused due to plaque buildup, rupturing of the plaque, a heart attack, vasculitis, or any chronic lung disorders. Any of these can temporarily cause obstructions in blood circulation to the brain and trigger dizziness.
4. Structural Heart Abnormalities
Aortic stenosis and mitral valve prolapse are among the most commonly known structural heart abnormalities that provoke dizziness:
- Aortic stenosis constricts the aortic valve, enhancing the efficiency of the heart in pumping blood to the brain. However, it causes dizziness due to insufficient oxygen supply to the brain.
- Mitral valve prolapse occurs when the flaps do not close tightly. This diminishes the circulation of blood and can lead to dizziness.
5. Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy occurs as a result of structural heart disease or heart muscle disease. It affects the heart muscles and their capacity to pump blood, resulting in dizziness.
6. Carotid Sinus Syncope
It is a type of syncope and a very common case among adults, resulting from activities that pressure the carotid sinus, such as an abrupt turn of the neck or looking upwards.
7. Situational Syncope
This syncope is associated with physical activities like urination, coughing, or laughing. Even swallowing can prompt this syncope. It tends to occur as a sudden, involuntary reaction to a stimulus.
8. Vasovagal Syncope
This is the most typical and harmless variety of all of them. Their causes are standing for extensive periods or exposure to high temperatures. A person sees or has their own blood drawn for examinations—it has also been responsible for vasovagal syncope.
Also Read: Understanding Syncope: Why it Happens & What it Signifies
Heart-Related Dizziness: Key Symptoms to Recognise
If you are feeling dizzy, pay attention to other signs suggesting your heart might be the cause. Noticeable signs include:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Palpitations
If you experience dizziness along with these heart-related symptoms, see your doctor. This is crucial if you have risk factors for heart disease, such as family history, hypertension, diabetes, or poor lifestyle. Your doctor will conduct tests to find the heart issues that cause your dizziness and then provide you with appropriate treatment. The sooner you respond to body signals, the better your health outcomes will be.
Diagnosis of Heart-Related Dizziness: Key Tests & Procedures
Once a patient presents themselves to a doctor complaining of dizziness, the doctor starts with a detailed medical history and performs a physical checkup to first negate non-cardiac causes and confirm the need for cardiac-specific tests—the intention is to find the heart conditions causing dizziness and ensure that the treatment focuses on the root cause.
The doctors might seek further testing as suggested below:
These tests are crucial in helping the doctor diagnose the heart condition causing the symptoms, ensuring and guiding the appropriate treatment.
Treatment & Management of Heart-Related Dizziness
Heart-related dizziness impacts the quality of life, but the right treatment approach can manage symptoms and address the heart condition. Managing heart-related dizziness starts with:
- Lifestyle changes
- Medications
- Surgical interventions
Work closely with your provider to develop a treatment plan that helps to alleviate dizziness and get at the root cause of the problem. This would involve regular follow-up visits and monitoring to make necessary adjustments to the plan for optimal outcomes.
Empower Your Heart Health With Professional Guidance
If causing dizziness, heart conditions need to be evaluated and treated by an interventional cardiologist specialising in advanced cardiac treatments. Every symptom, from slight dizziness to serious cardiovascular problems, necessitates medical attention.
At Dr. Karthigesan Clinic, Chennai, we offer comprehensive care for heart-related dizziness and run an exclusive clinic to evaluate. We listen to your unique symptoms and develop treatment plans accordingly.
Suffering from dizziness or other heart-related concerns? Schedule your cardiac evaluation with us today!
