Common Causes of Headaches and Dizziness

Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi, i am a 28 caucasian male and its about 4 years that i have trouble breathing but recently i have noticed that its only when i sit down doing nonthing and especially when i drive i get light headed and dizzy. i drink quite often and i dont know if that is a factor. i have gone to the hospital which they have done blood tests and lung and sinaus x rays and they said everything was ok. i feel it more then ever . is there an explaination for this?

The symptoms you have mentioned are a bit vague to me. Headaches and dizziness have a lot of causes. First of all, may I ask why you have trouble breathing? Are you asthmatic? Are you a smoker? If you do have trouble breathing, what do you usually do to help it? Lie down? Stop walking? Was this breathing trouble addressed to in the past? Were tests done to determine its cause? Common causes of breathing troubles can vary, it could be a congenital heart disease or a lung problem. It is a known fact that all organs in our body need oxygen, that includes the brain of course. If you have breathing troubles BEFORE having these headaches or dizziness, then I think the lack of oxygen in your brain are causing these headaches. For those who are smokers, most especially heavy smokers, lung damage can be extensive as to compromise the efficiency of the lungs to unload oxygen to the blood, and hence to the whole body. Again, this may cause dizziness. Also, increases in blood pressure may cause dizziness. Although unlikely (since you are young), try checking your blood pressure when you have these dizzy spells. Do you have reading or prescription glasses? Have you noticed headaches while reading? Impaired vision can cause dizziness too. Another common cause of dizziness is vertigo. A common form is called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. The explanation is this: the inner ear has a fluid and this plays a role in a person’s position sense. When this fluid crystallizes (hardens), a person may experience dizziness (vertigo). Some experience it like the room is whirling even if one is still. Severe forms of this disorder may cause nausea or vomiting. Head movements (side to side) can trigger this dizziness. If the dizziness is really bothering you, you may try to go to an ENT doctor as to have a thorough physical exam, and perhaps further tests. I hope this has helped you in any way. Take care always.