Dizziness & Balance In Menopause

A surprisingly common menopause symptom is dizziness! During a dizzy spell, you may experience unexpected light-headedness, disorientation, and loss of balance, which although brief can be disconcerting and a big deal for some.

Dizziness may be linked to other menopause symptoms, including anxiety, tinnitus, insomnia, hot flushes, and migraine headaches. Dizziness is sometimes experienced alongside perimenopause nausea or blurred vision during menopause. All very disconcerting and discombobulating!

If dizziness gets worse and impacts on day to day life - feeling lightheaded, as though you or your surroundings are spinning, do see a doctor to rule out other conditions.

Can menopause cause dizziness?

Falling oestrogen levels may impact on blood vessels, circulation, and the nervous system, affecting the brain and causing dizzy episodes. There are three different types of dizziness: feeling that everything is spinning (vertigo); feeling unsteady or off balance (disequilibrium); or feeling you are going to faint (pre-syncope).

Other factors contributing to dizziness and balance, include:

Blood sugar:
Hormones play an important role in balancing your blood sugar levels. Hormone changes during menopause affect how your body responds to insulin. That makes it hard for your body to keep your blood sugar stable. Changes to blood sugar levels can make you dizzy. read our blog about how to balance your blood sugar levels.

Middle ear changes:
Changes in female hormones are known to affect your inner ears, which are critical to your sense of balance. Some women report changes in balance, sinuses, and hearing before menstruation. It’s possible that hormonal changes during menopause may also affect your ears.

Fatigue:
Fatigue is a common symptom during menopause and can lead to dizziness. It’s hard for your body to function at its best if you feel exhausted.

Hot flushes:
If you're experiencing hot flushes you may be more prone to episodes of menopause vertigo (a spinning sensation).

Nervous and cardiovascular systems:
Changes in your oestrogen levels can affect your cardiovascular and nervous systems. You can easily get dizzy when either or both systems aren’t properly functioning. Menopause and high blood pressure are also associated with dizziness.

Migraines:
Migraines and dizziness are two of the most common complaints for perimenopausal women. The changes in hormones during perimenopause can trigger migraines.

What can trigger perimenopause dizziness?

Hormonal flux can cause sensitivity to things that haven’t previously caused you any problems, bringing on dizziness in menopause. What are some of the triggers and what should we avoid to prevent menopause light-headedness?

Cigarettes, alcohol, and caffeine

Now, even small quantities of alcohol may make you dizzy as tolerance levels fall! Nicotine in cigarettes can have a similar effect, and caffeine drinks may cause anxiety and trouble sleeping which contribute to dizzy spells.

Avoid too much junk food

Junk food should be saved for rare occasions. It’s loaded with sugars, saturated fats, and calories - and light on nutrition. Regularly eating junk foods means that you’re not giving your body the nutrients that it needs, which may impact your heart health and its ability to get blood to the brain as quickly as needed, making you dizzy.

Reduce salt intake

There’s lots of advice out there about the dangers of eating too much salt (most of us do!), but a very low salt intake can cause dizziness. So, your diet for menopause dizziness NHS Choices says “no more than 6 grams per day” should be consumed. 

Menopause dizziness treatment

Perimenopause vertigo associated with dizziness include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), symptoms of this type of vertigo in menopause are when everything moves when you look up. It happens when small calcium crystals found on nerve endings in the ear dislodge and float into the inner ear canals.

Also known as ‘top-shelf vertigo’, this is the most common cause of dizziness as you age. Symptoms occur on looking up or bending down. They can last from a few seconds to several minutes.

A simple, speedy procedure called the Epley manoeuvre may eliminate symptoms. Usually performed by a doctor or physiotherapist, it involves moving your head into several different positions to shift the dislodged crystals back to their rightful place. 

Perimenopause heavy bleeding and dizziness

See your doctor If you are having heavy periods and dizziness. Excessive blood loss may be causing dizziness. See our section on periods and bleeding.

NHS Choices say that antihistamines can be prescribed for short term use to deal with perimenopause nausea and dizziness caused by vertigo.

Dizziness and balance issues can be symptoms of underlying health condition so don’t assume yours is being caused by hormonal imbalance, seek advice if it persists and is troubling you.

HRT and dizziness

Some women do report side effects of HRT in uk of dizziness when they start taking it. If you can take HRT there may be a little trial and error involved in finding the right dose, type and method. Otherwise HRT will deal with the root of your menopausal dizziness, by restoring hormone levels.

The usual caveat here, that HRT is something to be discussed with your doctor. There are risks and benefits to taking it. See our video What is HRT? We don’t take a view. It’s for you to decide whether it’s for you or not.

What natural remedies help perimenopause dizziness?

Natural remedies for managing your perimenopause symptoms of dizziness, include:

• Ginger is used to manage motion sickness. Grate 2cm of fresh ginger into boiling water to make a tea.

• Gingko Biloba may be effective in dealing with dizziness and vertigo according to the US Mayo Clinic.

• Black Cohosh may help to calm the nervous system, helping to treat vertigo and dizziness.

Herbal remedies can have side effects and may interact with other medications. A medical herbalist can tell you more. Speak to your GP too!

And the good news is….
Although dizziness and balance in menopause are common symptoms they tend to disappear as your hormones start settle down. In the mean time read our self-help solutions via changes to your diet and lifestyle.