Introduction
Depending on the level of training, sporting activity can be a considerable strain on the body. In the course of this, a dizzy or groggy feeling can occur during or for a short time, i.e. about an hour after training. The term dizziness, however, is used in the German language to describe many different phenomena. It is therefore important to first distinguish dizziness as a loss of balance from drowsiness and to continue to distinguish in which direction the environment appears to be moving.
The causes
Dizziness belongs to the group of unspecific symptoms that can indicate diseases of various specialties. To clarify dizziness, therefore, the most dangerous and then the most frequent causes should first be excluded before considering rarer causes of dizziness. If the dizziness always occurs in attacks during sports or other physical exertion, the circulation, especially the blood pressure, should be checked.
The blood values can also be checked: An electrolyte disorder or iron deficiency, for example, can cause an insufficient oxygen supply to the brain during physical exertion and thus trigger dizziness. Furthermore, one should think of causes that can cause dizziness at any time and not only during sports: These include many diseases of the inner ear, including benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular neuritis or Menière’s disease. A special case arises if the sport involves activities in which the arms are raised above the head and subjected to stress: Here a subclavian steel syndrome can be concealed.
This disease is due to a narrowing of a specific arterial segment and is rare. Because of the variety of possible causes, medical advice should always be sought if dizziness persists during exercise. If persistent dizziness is accompanied by severe muscle tension in the neck and is aggravated by certain movements of the neck, it is called cervical spine syndrome.
The dizziness is then also called cervicogenic dizziness (lat. Cervix = neck). This form of dizziness can occur, for example, after injuries or accidents, but can also be triggered by certain “wrong” movements or incorrect weight bearing.
For the affected persons not only the dizziness but often also the feeling of restricted movement due to the pain in the neck is very distressing. Therapeutically, the focus is on muscle relaxation (see below). Iron in its atomic form is fundamental for the transport of oxygen in the blood.
Since dizziness can also be caused by a lack of oxygen in the cells, iron deficiency is also a possible cause. In this case, iron deficiency leads to a certain type of anaemia: the red blood cells (erythrocytes) are not provided with sufficient iron atoms that can bind and transport oxygen. Special attention should be paid to this possibility if corresponding accompanying symptoms indicate an iron deficiency: Tiredness, rapid exhaustion or shortness of breath during physical exertion, brittle nails or hair, cracked corners of the mouth and also psychological or emotional instability can be indications of an iron deficiency. By taking a blood sample, an iron deficiency can usually be determined relatively quickly and clearly.
