“Dizzy” can mean several very different things. Describing what you actually feel is
often the first step toward figuring out why it is happening.
If you feel lightheaded, your vision greys or narrows, or you feel as though
you might faint when you stand, the first question is what happens to your
blood pressure and heart rate when you change position. If the room spins,
you are describing something different. Before anyone can make sense of
dizziness, we have to know what you mean by “dizzy.”
You get up out of a chair.
For a few seconds the room goes grey and swimmy. Sound seems farther away. You put a hand on the counter and wait.
Then it passes.
Five seconds. Maybe fifteen.
It happens getting out of bed. Standing after working in the garden. After a hot shower.
Eventually you stop mentioning it because it always goes away.
But those few seconds matter.
At thirty-five, you steady yourself on the counter.
At seventy-five, you may land on the floor.
Same few seconds. Very different consequence.
What Do You Mean by “Dizzy”?
Everyone says dizzy. Almost nobody means exactly the same thing.
Lightheaded or faint. Your vision greys or narrows. Sounds seem distant. You may feel
warm, weak, clammy or as though you might pass out. If it happens after standing, blood pressure and circulation are among the first things to investigate.
Vertigo. You or the room seem to be moving when nothing is moving. That’s different from feeling faint and points us toward the vestibular — or balance — system and sometimes the brain. If that is your experience, it has its own article: “Is It Me Spinning or the Room?
Why?”
Unsteady. You don’t feel faint and nothing is spinning, but you drift, veer or feel less secure when you walk. Balance depends on information from your eyes, inner ears, joints, muscles and nervous system.
Floaty, foggy or disconnected. Harder to describe, but still useful information.
The point isn’t to diagnose yourself.
The point is to stop using one word for four different experiences.
If It Happens When You Stand, Measure What Happens When You Stand
When you stand, gravity shifts blood toward your legs and abdomen. Your nervous and cardiovascular systems normally compensate quickly by changing blood-vessel tone and heart rate so that adequate blood flow reaches your brain.
When that response isn’t adequate, you may experience lightheadedness when standing, a head rush, fading or blackening vision, weakness or even fainting.
One possibility is orthostatic hypotension, also called postural hypotension. The conventional definition is a sustained blood-pressure drop of at least 20 mm Hg systolic or 10 mm Hg diastolic within three minutes of standing. A standard bedside assessment measures blood pressure and heart rate after lying down and again after standing.
That doesn’t tell us why it happened.
It tells us something happened that deserves an explanation.
The Number Is a Clue, Not the Diagnosis
Dehydration, heat, prolonged bed rest and certain medications can contribute to dizziness or low blood pressure on standing. So can anemia, blood loss, heart problems, endocrine conditions and disorders affecting autonomic nervous-system control.
That is why simply saying “my blood pressure runs low” isn’t enough.
The better question is:
What happens to my blood pressure and pulse when I stand — and why?
Treatment depends on the cause, not merely on producing a higher blood-pressure reading.
What We Can Actually Examine
At Ptak Family Chiropractic in Santa Monica, we start by defining the experience.
If standing brings it on, we can measure blood pressure and pulse lying down and again after standing, and compare the numbers with what you actually feel.
But dizziness isn’t only a blood-pressure question.
If you describe spinning, unsteadiness, visual difficulty or problems with movement, the examination changes. Depending on your history, we may examine balance, gait, eye movements, coordination, sensation, cervical function and aspects of vestibular and neurological function.
The finding determines the next step.
A blood-pressure change needs to be understood in the context of your history, medications and other health factors.
A balance or vestibular finding leads us in a different direction.
A neurological finding changes the examination again.
And if what we find needs medical evaluation or another specialist, we’ll tell you and help point you in the right direction.
When Not to Wait
Frequent lightheadedness when standing deserves evaluation, particularly if it is getting worse or causing falls. Losing consciousness, even briefly, should be medically evaluated.
Seek urgent medical care when dizziness or fainting occurs with symptoms such as chest pain, severe shortness of breath, a new severe headache, weakness or numbness, difficulty speaking, significant vision changes, or other sudden neurological symptoms.
Bring Us the Experience, Not Just the Word
The next time it happens, notice four things.
What did “dizzy” actually feel like?
What were you doing when it started?
How long did it last?
What made it stop?
“I’m dizzy” gives us one word.
“When I stand up, my vision goes grey for about ten seconds and I feel as though I might faint” gives us a pattern.
And patterns are much more useful.
A Better Question
Instead of asking:
“Why am I dizzy?”
start with:
“What do I mean by dizzy?”
Then tell us when it happens.
If standing is the trigger, let’s measure what happens when you stand. If spinning, balance, vision or movement is part of the experience, let’s examine those systems.
You don’t need to arrive knowing the diagnosis.
You need to arrive able to describe the experience.
That’s where a useful examination begins.
Come and talk with us. We never charge you to sit down and talk about your needs. Bring the four answers above and your complete medication list, including anything over the counter. We’ll define the experience, measure what can be measured, examine what is ours to examine, and tell you honestly where this belongs — with us, with your physician, or with another specialist. And if it came on suddenly, or with any of the symptoms above, don’t wait for an appointment with anyone. Be seen today.
About the author. Dr. Jeffrey Ptak, DC, DSS, MSS, MA. Bachelor of Science in Psychology, The American University, 1977. Neuroscience research at the Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institutes of Health, 1977 to 1980, with peer-reviewed publications in Physiology & Behavior in 1977 and in Catecholamines: Basic and Clinical Frontiers in 1979. Doctoral study in behavioral neuroscience at the City University of New York. Doctor of Chiropractic, Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, 1985 — the professional degree under which he practices. Founder of Ptak Family Chiropractic, Santa Monica, since 1986. Postgraduate study in Chiropractic Functional Neurology through the Carrick Institute, and advanced training through the International Association of Functional Neurology and Rehabilitation. Graduate coursework in Traditional Chinese Medicine at Emperor’s College. Master of Arts in Spiritual Psychology, University of Santa Monica, 2012, and Master of Arts in Spiritual Psychology with an emphasis in Consciousness, Health and Healing, 2016. Master of Spiritual Science, 2021, and Doctor of Spiritual Science, 2025, Peace Theological Seminary & College of Philosophy.
Educational purposes only. This article does not diagnose any condition and is not a substitute for medical care. Seek urgent medical care for dizziness or fainting accompanied by chest pain, severe shortness of breath, a new severe headache, weakness or numbness, difficulty speaking, significant vision changes, or other sudden neurological symptoms. Any loss of consciousness, even brief, should be medically evaluated. Do not start, stop or change any prescribed medication without consulting the prescribing physician. Individual results vary and no particular outcome is promised.
Ptak Family Chiropractic
We listen… We care… We get results…
Chiropractic for Adults and Children
3122 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 102 · Santa Monica, CA 90404
310.473.7991 · ptakfamilychiropractic.com