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What are the Most Common Reasons for Feeling Tired and Dizzy?

Alex Tree
Alex Tree

The most common reasons for feeling tired and dizzy are malnutrition, dehydration, and the common cold or influenza. Anemia may also be responsible. Although the main symptoms of the common cold are usually a runny nose, sneezing, and nasal congestion, the person affected may also feel tired and dizzy. Dizziness and fatigue are also very common symptoms of the flu, which is a virus similar to but more severe than the common cold. Lastly, malnutrition and dehydration happen when the body is not getting the foods and fluids that it needs to thrive, so a person with unhealthy eating habits or someone lacking the resources to keep himself healthy will likely feel fatigue and dizziness as time goes on.

Influenza and the common cold are common viruses that are both capable of making a person feel dizzy and tired. Besides a noticeable lack of energy and dizziness, the flu generally presents with symptoms such as vomiting, fever, and body aches. The common cold is less severe, with symptoms such as a cough, runny nose, and sneezing. Influenza is commonly mistaken for the common cold at first, but it is typically more severe and can lead to pneumonia, which is especially fatal in the young and elderly. Dizziness and fatigue caused by the common cold and influenza subside as the person recovers from the virus.

A sudden drop in blood pressure can cause dizziness.
A sudden drop in blood pressure can cause dizziness.

A shortage of bodily fluids, or dehydration, is another common reason for feeling tired and dizzy. Some common reasons for dehydration include the lack of proper water consumption, physical activity, and vomiting. Drinks containing alcohol and caffeine can significantly contribute to dehydration, especially when consumed in high quantities. The consumption of such beverages may also lead to the drinker thinking that he or she has been consuming normal amounts of hydrating fluids, and thus not considering dehydration as a possibility for the cause of feelings of fatigue and dizziness.

Dehydration can lead to fatigue and dizziness.
Dehydration can lead to fatigue and dizziness.

Not consuming a balanced diet complete with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals can contribute to feelings of fatigue and dizziness. Many vitamins, if not consumed in proper amounts, can cause negative reactions. Feeling tired and dizzy may also be caused by low blood sugar, which in some cases can be fixed by the proper type of snack.

Another cause of fatigue and dizziness is anemia, which literally means lack of blood. People diagnosed with anemia are suffering from a decrease in red blood cells, or their blood has a below-average amount of iron-containing proteins that deliver oxygen. Either way, the organs end up getting less oxygen than they need, which in turn can make a person feel weak, tired, and dizzy. In fact, feeling a general weakness and tiredness is one of the most reported signs of anemia.

Discussion Comments

serenesurface

I used to never feel tired or dizzy before. Ever since I developed hypoglycemia, I feel tired and dizzy very frequently. These were actually the symptoms that prompted my doctor to request a blood sugar test for me.

Whenever my blood sugar falls, I get dizzy spells with shaking hands and nausea. After I eat and the dizziness goes away, then the fatigue kicks in. I feel like a truck has just run over me. It's very debilitating sometimes. It happened a few times at work and I found it very difficult to keep working. Twice, I had to go home early.

discographer

@ankara-- This happens to me too! My doctor said that it's probably a combination of dehydration and blood pressure changes due to heat. We lose a lot of water in heat through sweat. I always try and drink more water in the summer to prevent dehydration. Fatigue is a sign of dehydration. Try to stay in cool places and if you go outside, make sure you are getting enough water.

My doctor also said that having something sweet or salty when I feel dizzy will help normalize blood pressure. I try to avoid jerky movements like sitting down and standing up too fast when I'm dizzy.

bluedolphin

I've noticed that I get tired, light-headed and dizzy a lot in the summer from the heat. As long as I'm sitting in an air conditioned room, I'm fine. But when I go outside, I start feeling sick after about fifteen minutes. Once I had to run into a grocery store because I was very dizzy and felt like I would faint.

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    • A sudden drop in blood pressure can cause dizziness.
      By: laurent hamels
      A sudden drop in blood pressure can cause dizziness.
    • Dehydration can lead to fatigue and dizziness.
      By: Valua Vitaly
      Dehydration can lead to fatigue and dizziness.
    • Resting may help relieve feelings of dizziness.
      By: lightwavemedia
      Resting may help relieve feelings of dizziness.
    • Dehydration can lead to tiredness and dizziness.
      By: Hyrma
      Dehydration can lead to tiredness and dizziness.
    • It's critical to drink enough water and other healthy fluids to replenish the body and ward off fatigue and dizziness.
      By: fotum
      It's critical to drink enough water and other healthy fluids to replenish the body and ward off fatigue and dizziness.
    • People who work out intensely need to replenish not only water, but also essential salts and electrolytes lost through sweat.
      By: geronimo
      People who work out intensely need to replenish not only water, but also essential salts and electrolytes lost through sweat.
    • Chronic dizziness and fatigue may be symptoms of an underlying physical ailment.
      By: Alliance
      Chronic dizziness and fatigue may be symptoms of an underlying physical ailment.
    • The common cold may lead to pneumonia in the elderly.
      By: Tyler Olson
      The common cold may lead to pneumonia in the elderly.
    • Fatigue and dizziness may be a side effect of certain prescription drugs.
      By: Jenifoto
      Fatigue and dizziness may be a side effect of certain prescription drugs.