subject: Can My Dizziness Be Caused By Sinusitis? [print this page] Can My Dizziness Be Caused By Sinusitis? Can My Dizziness Be Caused By Sinusitis?
Why is it that my sinusitis symptoms make me dizzy? There are many problems that are associated with sinusitis dizziness. Not all people are the same; some complain only of minor problems with their sinuses, or with sinusitis infections, whereas some have problems that make them feel like the world is ending. Some symptoms can include pressure in the head, which can range from a mild headache to a pounding tightness that is akin to a migraine headache; loss of hearing, that can range from pressure in the ear drum to temporary deafness; stuffiness, which can range from a runny nose to a completely stopped up nasal passage; post nasal drip, which can range from mucus building in the throat to a major buildup of mucus; scratchy throat, which can range from irritation to rawness and yes, even dizziness.
Your head contains air filled spaces that are known as sinuses; these are around your eyes and forehead and known as the sinus cavity. Bacteria, allergens or viral infections are often the culprits when we ask why we come down with sinus infections. These infections happen when these air pockets fill with fluid and the fluid does not drain the way that it is supposed to.
In general, dizziness is problematic but it is exaggerated when it is your sinuses that are giving you a hard time. Dizziness is defined as the state of physical unsteadiness or lightheadedness. We have receptors in our brain that give our body direction; it lets us know what direction our bodies are in (up or down) or what we might be touching (the ground or other objects). The sense of balance stems from a complex interaction of many different systems. Directions such as turning (back and forth, side to side, up and down) are from your inner ear. The eyes are able to give us direction as far as upside down and right side up. The brain and spinal cord are the parts of our body that make up the central nervous system; it stores all of the information that our body takes in and sends it out to the proper channels. It is the home of all four systems. If there is a glitch in this system, this can send the rest of the body into a frenzy of not knowing what to do next. This total alienation of the sense of direction is what can cause your body to become dizzy. All of this can happen when you get an ear infection associated with sinusitis, which throws off your sense of balance.
The correlation between a sinus infection and dizziness can be diagnosed and treated by your physician. Don't wait until your symptoms become so bad that your body can't handle the pain or that it becomes so bad that it can create more serious problems. This can make daily extremely difficult. The pain and dizziness from a sinus infection can often make it impossible to perform everyday duties.
There are some steps to you can take to avoid having problems with sinusitis dizziness. Eating properly can reduce your chances of infections from sinus irritation. Air quality is very important for the chronic sinus sufferer; vaporizers, air purifiers and air conditioners can make all the difference in the world. They can add moisture to the air and take out allergens, reducing the effects that sinusitis has on the body.
Dizziness can have a major negative impact on your life and make it hard to perform you regular daily activities. Not all people with sinusitis will experience dizziness, but if you do, make sure that you contact a doctor right away. A specialist can prescribe medication that can slow the process of a sinus infection that is the root cause of the dizziness, and return you to a healthy state of well being.