If you feel dizzy after eating all the time or most of the time, then it is time you got yourself checked. Know how to prevent this condition, and also about what may cause the same, from this story.
Dizziness is mainly a symptom of some underlying conditions in the body. The best way to treat dizziness after having food is to remove the cause itself.
How to Prevent Dizziness After Eating
Along with medical treatment, you can follows some simple self-care measures to manage this health issue.
• If possible, eat only fruits and vegetables for a few days. You can resume a balanced diet after the gastritis has subsided.
• Drink water at regular intervals. Keep yourself hydrated to prevent light-headness after eating.
• Avoid carbonated drinks and sodas with meals. If you want to have a drink other than water, have healthy beverages like lime juice or coconut water.
• Instead of eating a large meal in one sitting, eat smaller, spaced-out meals throughout the day.
• Never skip breakfast, and eat meals on time. Try to have dinner two hours before going to bed.
• Post-meal activity is also important in curbing feelings of nausea. Do not indulge in strenuous exercise or a lot of movement after a meal.
• Spices like ginger and cayenne can help reduce the feelings of dizziness. Keep tinctures or brew a herbal tea of such spices to have after a meal.
What Can Cause Dizziness After Eating?
Diseases of Labyrinth
The labyrinth is a part of the body's auditory system which provides a sense of balance. Any disorder in the labyrinth may disturb its balance maintaining function, which in turn may lead to a feeling of dizziness and fatigue after eating. Such disorders can be labyrinthitis, Meniere's disease and benign positional vertigo.
Atherosclerosis
Older people may develop hardening of the arteries (arthritis) or joints in the neck. Such disorders cause pressure on the nerves and blood vessels. This makes the patient feel dizzy and nauseous after eating.
Gastritis
The condition in which the lining of the stomach gets inflamed is called gastritis. Dizziness and feeling tired after eating is a common symptom of this condition. Dietary irregularity, eating improperly cooked food, overeating and excessive intake of oily foods, alcoholism and strong tea or coffee can lead to gastritis.
Emotional Disorders
Stress, worry, grief and prolonged tension or clinical depression in general can eventually lead to dizziness after eating. The condition gets even worse if you have been suffering from an eating disorder such as anorexia.
Heart Disease
A diseased heart may not be able to send sufficient amount of blood to your stomach and intestine. A large or greasy meal may be left unprocessed, which in turn, gives you a feeling of dizziness and nausea.
Medicines
Certain medicines such as diuretics, antihistamines, muscle relaxants and medicines for blood pressure control etc. when taken along with meals, can make you dizzy after eating.
Disorders of the Thyroid Gland
Certain thyroid disorders may result in a feeling of dizziness after eating. The most common among them are inflammation of thyroid (thyroiditis) and under activity of thyroid (hypothyroidism). Such disorders may cause you to feel tired after eating.
Renal Disorders
Kidney diseases can lead to dizziness after eating as well. The condition gets worse if you eat processed and salty foods often.
Dizziness-inducing Foods
It makes sense that if you eat something bad, you will suffer for it. Certain foods and beverages will undoubtedly make you feel light-headed. These culinary offenders include:
✕ Foods with a high fat content like milk, cheese, shortening, mayonnaise and meat ✕ Raw or uncooked food ✕ Seafood which contain natural toxins like certain shellfish ✕ Fried junk food like French fries, corn dogs etc.
✕ Salty dishes and food like pretzels, chips, salted nuts, deli meat ✕ Certain sauces and salad dressings with a high salt content, like soy sauce ✕ Canned foods and soups ✕ Baking powder ✕ Pickled vegetables ✕ Alcoholic beverages
Postprandial Hypotension
The human body follows the butterfly effect: a small change in one area, has a big impact on another area. The process of digestion require a lot of blood and the organ in which this blood accumulates is the intestine. As you digest, your heart rate increases, due to the increased amount of blood needed.
As it increases, blood vessels in other body areas, tighten and contract. This maintains normal blood pressure levels. But if the heart rate does not increase with digestion or if the vessels do not constrict in time, then blood pressure levels fall. This reduction in blood pressure after eating a meal is termed as postprandial hypotension.
Since blood pressure falls, you feel light-headed and can even lose consciousness. This condition is noted amongst patients with high blood pressure or disorders like diabetes and Parkinson's.
Feeling dizzy after eating may not be a good sign if you have it frequently. As discussed above, there could be many causes behind it. Getting a medical diagnosis may help rule out potential problems, and evade any severe complications in future.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this story is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.