How To Get Rid of Dizziness Fast: Experts Say These Tricks Stop the Spins Naturally
Whether your wobbliness is caused by low blood sugar, carsickness or dehydration, we have the fix
Suddenly feel like the world is spinning? Many of us will deal with serious dizzy spells at some point in our lives, and occasional bouts of dizziness or vertigo are even more common. But it’s more than just a temporary nuisance—it can increase our risk of falling, especially as we age. That’s why it’s so important to understand how to get rid of dizziness fast, plus easy ways to block future flare-ups so you can stay steady on your feet.
How to get rid of dizziness with foods and supplements
First things first: If you’re experiencing dizziness, visit your doctor to pinpoint the underlying cause and rule out any serious health conditions. Common triggers of feeling unsteady include low blood sugar, dehydration, carsickness and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV (more on that below). As for natural foods and supplements to help get rid of dizziness, here’s what our experts recommend:
Try antihistamines
Histamine blockers like meclizine (Bonine) and dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) are affordable options that can help reduce dizziness caused by inner ear infections or motion sickness, offers Sazan Sylejmani, PharmD, owner and pharmacy manager of Westmont Pharmacy.
Woman's World Answers
Consider ashwagandha
If stress triggers bouts of dizziness, calming over-the-counter supplements such as L-theanine or ashwagandha may help you feel calmer and more balanced, Sylejmani adds.
Sip ginger tea
“Ginger is a natural option that can help with mild dizziness and nausea,” adds Raj Dasgupta, MD, Chief Medical Advisor for Fortune Recommends Health. “It has anti-inflammatory properties and may improve circulation to help with dizziness and balance. You can take it as capsules, tea or even fresh ginger. It’s a gentle option, but it might not work for all kinds of vertigo.”
Take vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 supports the nervous system and can help with dizziness related to vitamin deficiencies or some balance issues, Dr. Dasgupta notes. It’s available in multivitamins or as a separate supplement. While the vitamin is generally safe, it should be taken in moderation and according to the directions on the label.
Drink water with electrolytes
We get it: On busy days, it’s easy to forget to drink enough water to ward off dizzy spells. What can help? Increasing your fluid intake and slightly bumping up your salt intake on days when you know you’re coming up short on fluids. Grab a reusable water bottle, such as the LARQ Bottle PureVis 2 with a built-in filter, before leaving the house to make it easier to sip all day long.
Another option: Consider electrolyte drinks such as Pedialyte, which contain sodium and other key minerals that boost hydration, Sylejmani.
Snack on raisins
If it’s been a while since you last ate, low blood sugar may be making you feel wobbly. To quickly boost your glucose levels and help get rid of dizziness, experts at Kaiser Permanente suggest following the 15-15 rule. This means drinking or eating something that contains 15 grams of fast-acting carbs (like ½ cup of juice or a handful of raisins), then waiting 15 minutes to see how you feel. If you’re still dizzy, consume another 15 grams of carbs and wait 15 more minutes. Repeat until you’re feeling better.
Mix ACV with honey
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) mixed with honey might help get rid of dizziness by increasing blood flow to the brain to help deliver more oxygen, which can help with symptoms of lightheadedness, says Dr. Dasgupta. Mix one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with one tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm water and drink the mixture once or twice a day as needed. Tip: For added health benefits, consider Manukora Bioactive Blends Immunity + Defense, which pairs manuka honey with elderberry and echinacea to boost immunity.
How to get rid of dizziness with lifestyle changes
Depending on what’s causing your wobbliness, these simple hacks might provide faster relief.
Try acupressure
Gregg Gerstin, CBP, a chiropractor with Align Wellness Center, suggests trying to stimulate the pressure point behind your lower ear (which is linked to dizziness) by rubbing the area in a circular motion with two fingers. He recommends trying it either sitting or lying down while also incorporating deep breathing.
If that doesn’t do the trick, the other common pressure point for dizziness is at the base of the skull. Both sides can be massaged at the same time. If you decide to try, follow along with Gerstin in this video.
Move your head this way
When BPPV is behind dizziness, a series of head movements called the Epley maneuver can help. The condition is caused by tiny calcium crystals in the inner ear—which regulates balance—falling out of place. And a study in the International Journal of Otolaryngology found 72 percent of people with vertigo recovered immediately after doing this maneuver just once, and 92 percent were fully recovered after doing it daily for a week. The movements, which take about a minute via free “how-to” guides on YouTube, send the errant calcium crystals responsible for vertigo back to the inner ear where they belong.
Crack a window
To get rid of travel dizziness in an instant, simply crack your window while in the car. Cool, fresh air helps counteract the changes in body temperature that are triggered by motion sickness to provide immediate relief, according to an analysis in the journal Transportation Research.
Turn the tap to cool
If you’re lightheaded while showering, it’s likely because hot water causes blood vessels to dilate, triggering a blood pressure drop that can make you dizzy. Simply turning the faucet toward “cool” helps stabilize blood pressure to stop the spins. If you’re taking a bath, lifting your arms out of the water should do the trick, say researchers reporting in Experimental Physiology.
How to prevent future bouts of dizziness
Once you get rid of that wobbly feeling, odds are you want to keep it at bay. Here’s how:
Focus on key nutrients
Concentrating on fiber-rich foods can be helpful, as dizziness is a common symptom of iron deficiency anemia, says Jennie Stanford, MD, FAAFP, DipABOM, obesity medicine physician and medical contributor for Drugwatch. For patients with low iron, eating foods rich in iron can help replete iron stores and circulate iron in the blood. Try upping your intake of legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
Cut back on caffeine
Minimizing caffeine can also be helpful, she adds, as caffeine can cause central nervous system-related dizziness.
“A gradual reduction in caffeine intake is crucial to avoid withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, irritability and fatigue,” cautions Shannon Cook, registered dietitian at nutrition company Fay. “These symptoms can be uncomfortable, but by slowly decreasing your intake, you can minimize withdrawal effects and make the transition to a caffeine-free lifestyle more manageable.” (Discover what happens if you drink coffee every day.)
Eat more often
Eating small, frequent meals helps stabilize your blood sugar levels, which reduces the risk of dizziness triggered by glucose dips, says Nilda Agnes Abellera, MD, founder and medical director of Infuze MD.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
