Causes and treatments of dizziness caused by menopause

One of the common symptoms of menopause includes dizziness. It is not an indicator of anything serious or a medical problem. However, if you’re experiencing dizziness without a known cause, you might want to approach your doctor to get assessed. It is better to get it diagnosed soon, as it could be something serious.

The various changes in your hormone levels during menopause combined with ageing could lead to dizziness. It cannot be categorised as a disease in itself. It is merely a symptom of the variety of changes your body is going through during menopause.

Perimenopause marks the beginning of menopause symptoms in your life. It is the first stage in which your periods start becoming irregular. Perimenopause usually lasts any amount of time between 4 to 8 years. You are considered to be in perimenopause until you skip your period for a whole year. That marks your arrival into menopause. Between 40 to 58, women enter menopause.

Perimenopause triggers your ovaries to stop producing oestrogen and progesterone. These hormones are responsible for regulating your periods as well as your pregnancy. Basically, your entire reproductive system is held in balance by these hormones. These hormones also help regulate the activity in your pancreas, heart and brain. The steep and sudden decrease in oestrogen and progesterone might cause dizziness by affecting the following organs:

A fine balance of the brain senses is maintained by the otoconia, an organ situated inside your ear. It is formed by otoliths, which are tiny crystals. There have been studies conducted on the subject that have observed a relationship between the decrease in the levels of oestrogen and a distinct weakening of otoconia. This is very apparent in women suffering from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), which is a disorder that triggers dizziness while moving.

The metabolic system in your body is responsible for breaking down tour food into glucose, which is a form of simple sugar. It further carries this to your cells which put the glucose to use by converting it into energy. Oestrogen plays a key role in making sure this process goes on without a hitch. The fall in your levels of oestrogen could lead to a decrease in the amount of glucose available to the various parts of your body. It can in turn lead to dizziness and fatigue.

Heart palpitations could be caused during menopause due to hormonal changes. You could suddenly have a feeling of your heart skipping a beat or pounding. These type of irregular heartbeats can lead to dizziness.

Oestrogen helps your brain locate the position of your body in the surrounding. When these levels fall during menopause it could lead to the brain becoming disoriented. This could lead to dizziness and a feeling of losing balance.

Ageing caused the entire body and all of its functions to slow down. It includes your inner ear among others. The deterioration in your functioning might be made worse due to the loss of oestrogen and progesterone during menopause.

The imbalance of hormones in your body could lead to an inability to fall asleep at night. It could cause interruptions in your sleep patterns which could hamper your sleep cycle. A full night’s sleep lasting for 7 to 8 hours might be hard to attain. Long periods of sleep deprivation are categorised as insomnia and can be diminish the functioning of your brain. This can in turn lead to dizziness.

A majority of women experience hot flushes during perimenopause. Hot flush is the feeling of intense heat spreading through your upper body, especially your face and neck, for a short amount of time. The initial 6 months to 2 years of perimenopause witness a cascade of hot flushes which can make their home in your body for the next decade. Hot flushes can lead to a feeling of being disoriented as well as of dizziness.

Researches conducted a study that lead to the observation that menopause might lead to an increase in epigone migraine vertigo. This causes intense migraine headaches with a side of dizziness.

The hormonal changes in your body accompanied by your increasing age could give birth to panic and anxiety. There are various concerns such as growing older, or taking care of your ageing parents or children, which could add to the anxiety. This could further result in panic attacks which include dizziness.

There are several factors that can help reduce dizziness. It includes journaling and keeping a track of the things might trigger your dizziness. It is important to hydrate throughout the day. You should load up on water and avoid aerated drinks, coffee and alcohol. You should make sure your blood sugar is stable by having small meals every few hours. You might want to eat foods like whole grains and vegetables that have complex carbs. Eggs, chicken and fish are also a worthy addition to your diet.

Maintaining a proper sleep schedule along with proper diet and exercise can help reduce stress levels. It could also help manage the symptoms of menopause which could get rid of your dizziness.

If dizziness if restricting your ability to go about your normal life everyday, it might be time to consult a professional. It could help pinpoint the cause of your dizziness in relation to menopause.

It will also help rule out other elements like a variety of medical conditions that affect a specific part of the brain or the inner part of your ear; that could trigger dizziness. You should make sure you immediately contact your doctor if your dizziness gets worse.

Lifestyle changes can easily help manage dizziness caused by hormonal changes during menopause. In some cases hormone replacement therapy might be prescribed by the doctor.Since most of the symptoms of perimenopause are caused by a fall in the hormonal levels of oestrogen and progesterone, hormone replacement therapy can be hugely beneficial. HRT can be introduced to your body in the form of injections, patches or pills.

Unfortunately, hormone replacement therapy comes with their own set of risks like stroke, breast cancer and blood clots. To avoid these risks the hormones are usually prescribed in small doses, for short amounts of time.