Causes and Remedies From OB/GYNs

“Dizziness could be on account of underlying causes which are associated to your interval,” says Tiffany Pham, DO, a board-certified OB/GYN in Houston, Texas, and medical advisor for Flo Well being. (And simply to be clear, we’re speaking about that faint, lightheaded sensation that may depart you feeling such as you may go out. This can be a little completely different than vertigo, or feeling just like the room is spinning, which may stem from inside ear or neurological points.)

Whereas most causes of pre-period dizziness are innocent, it will possibly typically level to an underlying well being situation that wants treating. Both method, determining the basis explanation for your woozy spells will help you come to extra steady footing. Here is a take a look at the highest causes of dizziness earlier than your interval, and what to do about every.

1. PMS

If that lightheaded, faint feeling tends to pop up earlier than your interval, it might be associated to PMS, or premenstrual syndrome.

“[PMS] can embody a wide range of signs within the days main as much as your interval, together with temper signs, belly bloating, pelvic ache or cramping, dizziness, fatigue, complications, breast tenderness, pores and skin adjustments, or adjustments in your urge for food,” says Dr. Pham.

PMS occurs, as you may’ve guessed, due to fluctuations in hormones like progesterone, which may have an effect on your ranges of feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin. Being stressed tends to exacerbate the issue and make signs worse, notes the National Library of Medicine.

What to do

PMS sometimes goes away as soon as your interval begins and, though annoying, its signs are usually not dangerous. But when your PMS signs are extreme or disrupt your every day life, attain out to your OB/GYN or primary-care physician. They will help you give you a plan to make your cycles really feel smoother.

“PMS can embody a wide range of signs within the days main as much as your interval, together with temper signs, bloating, fatigue, and dizziness.”—Tiffany Pham, DO, OB/GYN

2. Menstrual migraines

PMS can also trigger a migraine within the days main as much as your interval (which, once more, is all due to hormone fluctuations). Generally that may give folks vertigo—a queasy, dizzy sensation the place you’re feeling just like the room is spinning and it is laborious to steadiness, says Dr. Pham.

What to do

If migraines are inflicting your dizziness, discuss to your physician about migraine treatment choices. You might be able to take an over-the-counter ache reliever like Excedrin or Advil (ibuprofen), use an ice pack, and/or sleep it off. But when these choices do not work, chances are you’ll want a particular migraine medicine, which your physician can prescribe.

3. Dysmenorrhea (aka painful durations)

Most individuals could have gentle cramping for a day or two throughout their durations. However for some, the ache can attain the extent the place you truly really feel dizzy, says Kiarra King, MD, an OB/GYN in Chicago and girls’s well being medical advisor to Oura.

Consultants name this dysmenorrhea, or interval ache that is dangerous sufficient to maintain you from doing all of your regular actions. It might probably occur when your uterus contracts abnormally or stem from circumstances like endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or pelvic inflammatory illness, in keeping with Johns Hopkins Medicine.

What to do

In case your cramping is extreme, discuss to your OB/GYN. They will run exams (like pelvic exams, blood work, or ultrasounds, to call a number of) to rule out any underlying circumstances inflicting your ache. From there, they’ll give you a particular therapy plan to assist relieve your ache. Within the meantime, taking an NSAID (non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug) like ibuprofen, or utilizing a heating pad, will help relieve cramping.

4. Anemia

Over time, very heavy durations (the place you lose a number of blood) may cause iron-deficiency anemia, which may make you’re feeling weak and dizzy, and even trigger coronary heart palpitations or shortness of breath, notes the Mayo Clinic.

Different widespread signs of iron-deficiency anemia embody:

• Fatigue
• Weak spot
• Pale pores and skin
• Chilly fingers and ft
• Headache
• Sore, infected tongue
• Brittle nails
• Poor urge for food

What to do

If you happen to suppose you may need anemia, your physician can order a blood take a look at to search out out. If you happen to do, “you may think about taking iron supplements to assist enhance your blood iron rely,” says Dr. Pham. It’s also possible to strive consuming extra foods rich in iron like spinach, eggs, crimson meat, and fortified cereal. Some folks additionally strive taking hormonal contraception capsules, as a result of they’ll cut back future blood loss by making your durations lighter, she provides.

5. Fast, heavy blood loss

This is not widespread, however dropping a considerable amount of blood from a really heavy circulation—suppose, soaking by means of greater than two pads or tampons in an hour, says Dr. King—may trigger a fast drop in blood stress, making you’re feeling dizzy.

Some potential causes of heavy vaginal bleeding embody the next, per the Cleveland Clinic:

• Hormone imbalances (like from a thyroid dysfunction or PCOS)
• Uterine fibroids
• An infection
• An IUD
• Ectopic being pregnant
• Miscarriage
• Sure bleeding issues

What to do

“If you happen to’re having fast blood loss, you may wish to name your physician,” says Dr. King. “You could have to be checked out rapidly,” to ensure nothing extra critical is happening.

6. Poisonous shock syndrome (TSS)

TSS is a uncommon however life-threatening bacterial an infection marked by dizziness, sudden excessive fever, confusion, vomiting, and a rash in your palms or soles of your ft. Anybody can get it (together with folks assigned male at delivery and children), however it’s tied to tampon use as a result of tampons can doubtlessly trigger micro organism to get trapped in your vagina and enter your cervix and uterus, the place it will possibly unfold to your bloodstream, per the Cleveland Clinic.

What to do

TSS will not be widespread, however in case you do really feel any of the corresponding unwanted side effects, and use tampons usually, name your physician and go to the ER as quickly as doable.

You may defend your self from TSS by changing your tampon not less than each eight hours and utilizing tampons with the lightest absorbency to your circulation, which reduces the danger for dangerous micro organism progress, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Non-period associated causes of dizziness

Generally dizziness you discover earlier than or throughout your interval is not truly associated to your cycle, says Dr. King. Some widespread culprits embody:

• Dehydration: Together with feeling dizzy, you may also have a dry mouth, dry pores and skin, dark-colored urine, or really feel sluggish or fatigued, in keeping with the National Institutes of Health.
• Low blood sugar: Your blood sugar may drop beneath the wholesome vary in case you’ve gone too lengthy with out consuming, particularly when you’ve got diabetes. Low blood sugar could make you dizzy, shaky, and irritable. You may really feel like your coronary heart is racing or like you may’t suppose clearly, per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
• Orthostatic hypotension: This can be a sort of low blood stress that occurs when standing or sitting up from mendacity down, says the Mayo Clinic. You may briefly get dizzy, faint, or have blurry imaginative and prescient once you get out of a chair or away from bed, for example.

Methods to stop period-related dizziness

Conserving period-related dizziness at bay is determined by what’s inflicting it, says Dr. Pham. Dizziness attributable to PMS, dysmenorrhea, or heavy durations can usually be managed with hormonal contraception capsules. Similar goes for period-related migraines, which may also be handled with prescription migraine meds, she provides. If the issue stems from anemia, supplemental iron can appropriate your deficiency and provide help to really feel higher.

Making an attempt to give attention to fundamental self-care—like consuming balanced meals and snacks, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep—can even assist decrease your possibilities of non-period causes of dizziness like dehydration or low blood sugar, says Dr. King.

What to do once you really feel dizzy

Initially: Do not attempt to push by means of it, since you may find yourself falling and getting harm. If doable, slowly decrease your self right into a seated place or discover a place to lie down, says Dr. Pham. If you happen to’re not capable of sit, not less than seize on to one thing that will help you really feel steadier. As soon as the dizzy feeling goes away, stand up slowly and thoroughly, she provides.

This additionally means, in case you want a rest day to sleep off that woozy feeling, take it.

May dizziness earlier than your interval imply you are pregnant?

Perhaps, however provided that your interval by no means truly got here. Whereas dizziness is not an excellent widespread early being pregnant symptom, it will possibly have an effect on some folks. “This may be on account of hormonal adjustments that result in a decreasing of blood stress, significantly within the first trimester,” says Dr. Pham.

Different clues that you possibly can be pregnant? Bloating, fatigue, peeing more than usual, nausea, vomiting, temper swings, and tender or swollen breasts, notes Planned Parenthood. However do not depend on your signs alone: If you happen to suppose you is likely to be pregnant, take a being pregnant take a look at to get a definitive reply, says Dr. King.

When to see a health care provider

Most of the time, that woozy feeling earlier than your interval is as a result of regular hormone fluctuations that occur at the moment of the month.

But when dizziness earlier than or throughout your interval retains you from residing your day after day, let your physician know. Dr. King recommends utilizing a period tracker to maintain tabs in your cycle and your signs, which will help you and your physician slim down what is likely to be happening.

And naturally, when you’ve got extreme signs like muscle weak point, very heavy bleeding, or indicators of TSS, name your physician and go to the ER as quickly as doable.