Symptoms
Both dizziness and headaches are not independent diseases but symptoms in themselves. This means that the two symptoms are only an expression of an underlying disease. Dizziness and headache most often occur together in a dizzy migraine.
Diagnostics
Headaches and dizziness should also be treated separately when it comes to diagnosis. In the case of headache, the diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the patient’s clinical situation. This means that the doctor first has a conversation with the patient.
During the so-called anamnesis he asks about the location, intensity, temporal relation etc. of the headache and tries to assign it to a known headache type on the basis of the information provided. The medical history is followed by a physical examination.
During this examination the internal organs are roughly examined and tested for disorders. When dealing with headaches, the physician pays attention not only to blood pressure but also to neurological symptoms. These include, for example, impaired vision or neck stiffness.
If the physician cannot make a clear diagnosis after taking the patient’s medical history and after the physical examination, further diagnostic tests are performed.This includes a blood test and, if necessary, imaging, for example an MRI of the head. These data should help to classify the headache. The situation is very similar when it comes to dizziness.
Here, too, the doctor starts with a conversation to get further information from the patient. During the subsequent physical examination, the doctor pays particular attention to neurological symptoms. In the case of dizziness, patients often experience a so-called nystagmus.
This is an unwanted eye movement in a horizontal plane. The nystagmus can also be provoked by wearing certain glasses. Based on the direction of the nystagmus, the doctor can now make a more precise assumption about the cause of the dizziness.
If the physician does not succeed with the examination, further diagnostics are also indicated here. Hearing tests, imaging, blood tests etc. should then lead to a clear diagnosis.
In the case of a combination of dizziness and headache, a dizzy migraine should be clarified first and foremost. A strong, one-sided and throbbing pain that worsens under stress is typical for this type of headache. If the symptoms are very strong and sudden, a cerebral hemorrhage must also be ruled out.
When talking about therapy, the dizziness must be considered separately from the headache, although in some cases the dizziness disappears with the therapy of the headache. The method of choice for the therapy of headaches is medication. In classic tension headache, adults can choose from a variety of drugs.
The most common are Aspirin®, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac etc. Paracetamol is often used for children. If the headache occurs in the context of a migraine, there are special drugs that are used for therapy.
These include triptans, but also beta-blockers and calcium channel inhibitors. In addition, conventional painkillers can also be used during an attack. In the case of dizziness, the therapy is strongly dependent on the causative disease.
In most cases, various positioning maneuvers by the doctor will help. In the case of infections and inflammation, the dizziness is combated with medication. Very effective is a so-called dizziness training.
This is a variety of physical exercises to help the patient learn how to deal with dizziness. This is effective because the brain is very capable of learning and manages to cope with the dizziness with the exercises. Nausea often occurs together with dizziness, but also sometimes with headaches.
All three symptoms at the same time usually indicate a migraine. But also very strong headaches, such as cluster headaches, can cause nausea in patients. Vomiting is not always present.
In rare cases, these symptoms can also be caused by inflammation of the brain or tumors. If the symptoms are very severe and do not go away after a few days, a doctor should always be consulted to determine their cause. In some cases, patients with headaches and dizziness feel very tired and powerless.
This can have many different causes. The fatigue is often caused by a too low blood pressure, rarely also by a too high blood pressure. This can also cause headaches and dizziness.
Sleep disorders and stress can also lead to fatigue. An unbalanced diet, little physical activity and low sun exposure can lead to anaemia or malnutrition. All these problems make the patient feel tired and listless.
In addition, the immune system is often weakened during the winter months, which means that infections can lead to headaches, dizziness and tiredness. In many cases, the patient’s psyche also plays a decisive role. The psyche is closely linked to the physical well-being of the person.
Patients with mental impairments often complain of listlessness and tiredness. Some also suffer from headaches and, more rarely, dizziness. As a result, these symptoms also occur more frequently in winter, as the dreary weather causes many people to stay at home and thus isolate themselves.
This can lead to depression, which in turn manifests itself in physical suffering. A combination of headaches, dizziness and earaches can have many different causes. A common one is a cold with an additional inflammation of the ears.
In some cases, a migraine can lead to earaches in addition to the headaches and dizziness.Also possible is an orthopedic problem, such as a malposition of the cervical spine or tension in the neck muscles. In this case, the pain extends from the neck along the back of the head and then spreads over the top of the skull. Serious illnesses, such as an inflammation of the brain, the inner ear or a tumor in the head are rather rare, but can occur.
In these cases, however, the symptoms are very severe and can easily be distinguished from a cold. If the pain is very severe, lasts for several days and does not improve, a visit to the doctor is necessary in any case. The doctor will then determine the exact cause of the headache, dizziness and earache in order to treat the symptoms in the best possible way.
If headaches, dizziness and abdominal pain occur together, a large number of different diseases are possible. The most common cause is an infection. Here the spectrum ranges from a simple cold to flu or glandular fever.
A blood test by a doctor is indispensable for a precise diagnosis. The infection can also originate in the intestines, for example through salmonella poisoning or viral intestinal inflammation. In this case, too, a visit to a doctor is recommended.
Furthermore, food intolerances, allergies or food poisoning may be possible causes of the symptoms. Alternatively, defective positions of the spine or muscle tension in the back can lead to pain radiating into the abdomen and head. In rare cases, tumors in the abdominal cavity can also lead to such symptoms.
A medical clarification of the pain is especially important if it persists for several days, is very strong and does not improve by itself. In this case, the doctor must search for the cause in order to avoid dangerous consequential damage. Shaking is generally a very weak symptom.
Most likely, the tremor associated with headache and dizziness suggests a neurological problem. Psychological impairment is also conceivable. These include depression, anxiety disorders and stress.
Mental illness can manifest itself through physical complaints. These often manifest themselves through headaches and general indisposition. Migraine is also a common disease associated with tremor.
In this case the tremor is caused by the strong headache. In general, if the pain is very severe, lasts longer than three days and does not improve under usual pain medication, one should consult a doctor. This doctor will then clarify whether it is perhaps a serious clinical picture.
He also looks at the psychological condition of the patient. If depression is noticeable, it must be treated to eliminate the headache and dizziness. Fever together with headache and dizziness usually indicates an infectious disease.
A simple cold or flu can trigger the symptoms. At the same time caution should be exercised if other severe symptoms occur. If there are neurological symptoms of failure, whether due to a reduction in cognitive performance or visual or hearing impairment, a doctor should always be consulted.
Neurological deficits often indicate meningitis or meningitis. Meningitis is characterized by severe neck pain, sometimes so severe that patients are unable to press their chin against their chest. This clinical picture would be a classic sign of meningitis.
It must always be treated by a doctor as it can have serious consequences. Therefore, if you have headaches and fever, you should always consult your family doctor. It is his task to distinguish between a harmless infection and a serious infection.
Dizziness and headaches often occur during pregnancy. These symptoms should be treated with pregnancy medication. In the second half of pregnancy, severe headaches over a longer period of time can be a sign of pre-eclampsia.
This is a serious condition characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Swelling of the arms, legs and face can also occur. Other symptoms include sudden flickering before the eyes, chest pain and general discomfort.
If these symptoms are noticed, a visit to a gynecologist is essential.The doctor determines how severe the pre-eclampsia is and initiates treatment accordingly. In mild cases, pregnant women can stay at home and visit the gynecologist for regular check-ups. In severe cases, the mother should be hospitalized and treated.
Pre-eclampsia poses a danger to both the mother and the child, as it can lead to an undersupply of the child in the womb. Chest pain rarely occurs together with headaches and dizziness. Often the cause is not physical, but psychological.
In cases of severe stress or depression, the mental suffering can project itself onto the body and thus lead to pain. It is also possible that there is tension in the area of the neck, which leads to pain in the head as well as in the chest. Serious illnesses, such as a heart or brain infarction are rather unlikely with mild symptoms, but still possible.
If the symptoms are very severe and do not improve over a few days despite pain medication, the family doctor should be consulted in any case. A conversation and a physical examination should then provide the final diagnosis. If there is any uncertainty, further tests are carried out, such as a blood test or imaging. At the latest then the cause of the pain should be found.
