Heavy-headedness is the feeling of faintness, dizziness, or feeling of floating, wooziness.[1][2][3] Individuals may feel as though their head is heavy; also feel as though the room is moving/spinning also known as vertigo. Some causes of heavy-headedness can be tough to get rid of and can last a long period of time, however most can be treated.

Causes

edit

Heavy-headedness can be caused by inner ear disturbance, motion sickness and medication effects. Sometimes it can be caused by an underlying health condition, such as poor circulation, infections or injuries.[4] Panic attacks can cause heavy-headedness as well. Medical conditions like anxiety causes heavy-headedness too.[5] A sinus infection can cause facial pressure and pain, as well as nasal congestion and headaches, which are also known as heavy-headedness.[citation needed] New users to specific drugs can cause heavy-headedness. Chronic subjective dizziness (CSD) can be related to heavy-headedness. Nausea and vomiting can cause heavy-headedness. In cases of Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome cognitive effects such as severely disrupted speech, giddiness, and heavy-headedness have been documented.[6]

Treatment

edit

Treatment for heavy-headedness depends on the problem. Over-the-counter pain medications can sometimes work for heavy-headedness. Examples include acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen.[7]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Medicine, Northwestern. "Symptoms of Dizziness and Balance Disorders". Northwestern Medicine.
  2. ^ Smirnova, Alina; Bell, Stephanie H; Tracy, C Shawn; Upshur, Ross EG (15 September 2011). "Still dizzy after all these years: a 90-year-old woman with a 54-year history of dizziness". BMJ Case Reports. 2011: bcr0520114247. doi:10.1136/bcr.05.2011.4247. PMC 3176358. PMID 22679229.
  3. ^ "Dizziness".
  4. ^ "Dizziness - Symptoms and causes". Mayo Clinic.
  5. ^ "Is Anxiety Causing My Head to Feel Heavy?". July 16, 2019.
  6. ^ Thomson, Allan D.; Cook, Christopher C. H.; Guerrini, Irene; Sheedy, Donna; Harper, Clive; Marshall, E. Jane (1 March 2008). "Review Wernicke's encephalopathy revisited Translation of the case history section of the original manuscript by Carl Wernicke 'Lehrbuch der Gehirnkrankheiten fur Aerzte and Studirende' (1881) with a commentary" (PDF). Alcohol and Alcoholism. 43 (2): 174–179. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agm144. PMID 18056751.
  7. ^ "Head feels heavy: 5 causes, symptoms, and treatments". www.medicalnewstoday.com. March 10, 2018.