Internal Medicine

Dizziness after coffee - where does it come from?

introduction

Dizziness is a non-specific symptom that can have various forms and numerous causes. In order to narrow down the many causes, the vertigo can be analyzed in more detail and divided. Common forms of vertigo are targeted vertigo or vertigo.
Furthermore, the analysis of the situations can provide indications of an underlying cause. Typical predisposing factors for dizziness are the female gender, low blood pressure, small amounts of drink, early morning hours, diuretic use, previous mental illnesses and diseases of the cardiovascular system. In most cases, dizziness results from an insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain, often caused by a combination of low blood pressure and a lack of blood volume. Coffee and the caffeine it contains have numerous effects on the internal organs and the central nervous system. Coffee consumption can trigger dizziness via different mechanisms.

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What are the causes?

The caffeine, which is contained in coffee in high doses, has numerous effects on various body processes. It develops its most important effects on the cardiovascular system. Here it leads to a contraction force of the heart and an increase in heart rate. This also increases blood pressure, which initially prevents dizziness. However, coffee continues to cause smaller blood vessels to dilate and reduce blood pressure.

The increase in heart rate can sometimes result in a racing heart, which can cause dropouts and extra beats, as well as heart stumbling. This can lead to sweating, palpitations, excitement, and dizziness. On the other hand, coffee has a diuretic effect on other organs, which means that the body excretes more fluid. This can lead to a volume deficiency and a further drop in blood pressure, particularly if the blood pressure is already low. Fainting dizziness is a typical consequence of this so-called "diuresis".

How can I be sure that coffee is the cause of my vertigo?

Dizziness is a non-specific symptom, which is often due to an interplay of several factors. Only rarely can a single cause be identified as the cause of the dizziness. Numerous organic and neurological clinical pictures must be excluded for a precise diagnosis. These include primarily heart defects such as cardiac arrhythmias or heart valve defects, but also structural diseases and functional disorders of the heart. Furthermore, diseases of the balance and hearing organs can cause severe vertigo. They can be excluded with the help of targeted neurological diagnostics. Only after the common causal diseases have been ruled out can dizziness from coffee be used as a so-called "exclusion diagnosis". Even if the coffee was the trigger of the dizziness, insufficient drinking or low blood pressure are often other decisive factors.

Learn more about the topic: Balance disorders and dizziness

Why is dizziness more common in the morning?

Symptoms such as dizziness are typically particularly present in the morning hours. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that after waking up, depending on various factors, the circulation needs a certain time to adapt to the activity. Getting up from sleep and taking immediate action requires an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as further adjustments to the circulatory system, which can sometimes take a few minutes. In addition, the body absorbs little or no amount of liquid in the form of food and drink overnight, which in turn lowers the blood pressure in the morning. If a coffee is drunk after getting up without further hydration, these effects can be further intensified by the increased dehydration.

You can find more information about dizziness in the morning and dizziness when getting up here!

What are the accompanying symptoms?

Coffee consumption can cause a number of central nervous and cardiovascular symptoms. In combination with other factors such as fatigue, low blood pressure, increased activity and stress, unpleasant accompanying symptoms can occur.These express themselves primarily as:

Racing heart
Palpitations
Palpitations
a headache
nervousness
diarrhea
Urge to urinate
Sleep disorder
Restlessness
dizziness
Loss of consciousness

On the other hand, caffeine consumption can also lead to increased drive, ability to concentrate, alertness and performance.

Nausea and dizziness after coffee

Nausea can be a symptom of severe dizziness. A strong vertigo leads to nausea and even vomiting in certain areas of the brain. Vomiting can lead to a vicious circle, as it can cause further fluid loss in addition to diuresis from the coffee. This can lead to a loss of consciousness and a drop in blood pressure. The nausea can also be attributed to the effects on the cardiovascular system. The increase in heart rate, the stumbling of the heart, nervousness and sweating can in turn provoke nausea.

Read more on the topic: Dizziness with nausea

Racing heart after coffee

Palpitations can occur suddenly after consuming coffee. It is usually found to be extremely uncomfortable by those affected and is associated with nervousness, sweating, feelings of fear and panic, excitement and impaired concentration. The caffeine in coffee leads to an acceleration of the heartbeat in the cells of the conduction system and a brief increase in blood pressure in the blood vessels. This may show up as a throbbing in the head and chest. Occasionally, extra beats occur, which are also heard as heart stumbling. The racing heart is heavily dependent on the dose of coffee. If you are stressed or very tired, you should not take more coffee, as the palpitations can occur in any case, depending on the dose.

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What to do against dizziness

In most cases, dizziness is multifactorial. Several physical aspects such as stress, dehydration, tiredness, low food intake and coffee consumption often play a role here. Coffee consumption is often the trigger that ultimately leads to the symptoms. In the treatment of vertigo symptoms, the focus is on supporting the cardiovascular system with sufficient fluids, food, rest and stress reduction. In rare cases, mainly in women, these preventive measures are insufficient, so that blood counts and, if necessary, drug treatments are necessary.

Duration and forecast

The duration of the vertigo depends heavily on the exact cause. If there is low blood pressure with a lack of fluids, the problem can be treated quickly with simple measures. Immediately calming down, reducing stress, drinking a glass of water or elevating your legs should reduce the dizziness within a few minutes. If dizziness persists or recurs, a blood sample may have to be taken to investigate other possible causes.

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