Many different conditions, including ear infections and low blood sugar, can make you feel both dizzy and tired. Sometimes these symptoms are temporary, or they might come and go.


Dizziness is a word that describes the sensation of spinning while being off-balance. To explain to a doctor exactly how you feel, you can use these more specific terms:

  • Disequilibrium: Feeling unsteady refers to disequilibrium.
  • Lightheaded: A feeling of faint or woozy means you have lightheadedness.
  • Vertigo: A spinning sensation when you aren’t moving refers to vertigo.

Different health conditions can cause dizziness and fatigue. If you often feel dizzy and tired, a doctor can help determine a diagnosis.

In addition to feeling uncomfortable, untreated dizziness and fatigue can cause a fall or increase your risk of getting into an accident while driving.

Your body needs sugar, also known as glucose, for energy. When your blood sugar level drops, you may feel dizzy, shaky, and tired.

Low blood sugar is often a side effect of insulin and other drugs used to treat diabetes. These drugs help lower blood sugar. But if you do not follow the prescribed dosage, your blood sugar can drop too much.

You can also experience hypoglycemia if you don’t have diabetes. It can occur if you haven’t eaten in a while or drink alcohol (if applicable) without eating.

Symptoms of low blood sugar include:

A fast-acting source of carbohydrates can help with low blood sugar. Try having a glass of fruit juice or a piece of hard candy. Then, eat a nutritious meal to raise your blood sugar levels.

If you have diabetes and often experience low blood sugar, you might need to adjust your medication by speaking with your doctor. Or you could eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day. This can help keep blood sugar levels steady.

Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against blood vessel walls as it circulates through your body.

Symptoms of low blood pressure include:

Conditions that can cause your blood pressure to drop include:

  • heart problems
  • certain medications for high blood pressure, Parkinson’s disease, or depression
  • serious injury and blood loss
  • dehydration
  • pregnancy
  • diabetes

Treating these issues can bring your blood pressure back up to normal. Other ways to increase low blood pressure include:

  • eating a balanced diet, which can support your overall health
  • adding more salt to your diet, which can raise blood pressure
  • drinking more water to prevent dehydration, which can cause low blood pressure
  • wearing support stockings, which can reduce low blood pressure from not moving around enough

Red blood cells carry oxygen to all your organs and tissues. When you have anemia, your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells, or these cells don’t work well enough. A lack of oxygen can make you feel dizzy or tired.

Symptoms of anemia can include:

Possible causes of anemia include:

Migraine is a neurological condition that causes severe headaches, or migraine episodes.

Migraine episodes are intense, throbbing headaches that last from a few hours to a few days. Along with the headache, you may experience symptoms that include:

People who have vestibular migraine can experience dizziness and vertigo, even when they don’t have a headache. The vertigo can last for a few minutes to a few hours.

Avoiding migraine triggers like alcohol, caffeine, and dairy foods can help prevent episodes in some people. Treatment may also help prevent and treat migraine. This can include:

  • preventive medications, such as antidepressants and antiseizure drugs, which aim to stop migraine episodes before they start
  • short-term medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and triptans to help relieve migraine episodes once they start
  • other therapies, including massage and acupuncture, which may help prevent migraine episodes

Certain medications can cause dizziness and fatigue as side effects. These include:

If you take one of these medications and think it’s making you feel dizzy or tired, talk with a doctor. They can help you safely lower the dose or switch to another treatment.

Usually, your heart beats in a familiar “lub-dub” rhythm. When you have an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), your heart beats too slow or too fast. It might also skip beats.

Besides dizziness and fatigue, other symptoms of an arrhythmia include:

  • fainting
  • shortness of breath
  • chest pain

A doctor can help treat heart rhythm problems with drugs like blood thinners or blood pressure medications. They may recommend avoiding substances like caffeine, alcohol (if you drink), and cold medications, as these tend to affect your heart rhythm.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition that causes overwhelming tiredness, even after you’ve slept well. Symptoms of CFS include dizziness and trouble keeping your balance.

Symptoms of CFS may include:

Treating CFS is challenging because it varies for each person. A doctor may help treat your individual symptoms with therapies like medication and counseling.

An infection like a cold or the flu can inflame the vestibular nerve in your inner ear. This nerve sends sensory messages to your brain to help keep you upright and balanced. Swelling of the vestibular nerve can cause dizziness and vertigo. You might also feel very tired.

Symptoms of vestibular neuronitis include:

  • dizziness and vertigo
  • fatigue
  • nausea and vomiting
  • trouble concentrating
  • blurred vision

A virus usually causes vestibular neuritis. The dizziness and other symptoms typically go away within a few days.

Dehydration is when your body doesn’t have enough fluid. You can experience dehydration if you don’t drink enough water. This is especially true while you’re outside in hot weather or doing exercise.

Symptoms of dehydration include:

To treat dehydration, drink plenty of fluids like water or an electrolyte solution like Gatorade. If you have severe dehydration, you may need to go to the hospital for intravenous (IV) fluids.

If you’ve had repeated episodes of dizziness and fatigue, it’s best to talk with a doctor to find out what’s causing your symptoms. Contact a doctor or go to an emergency room right away if you have more serious symptoms, such as:

  • fainting or loss of consciousness
  • seizures
  • blurred vision or vision loss
  • severe vomiting
  • heart palpitations
  • chest pain
  • confusion
  • high fever of over 102.2°F (39°C) for children and 103°F (39.4°C) for adults
  • trouble speaking

Your outlook depends on what condition is causing your dizziness and fatigue.

If you have an infection, it may get better in a few days.

Migraine and CFS are chronic conditions, but you can manage them with medications and other treatments.

A few things you can do to help prevent dizziness and fatigue include the following:

  • Drink plenty of water throughout the day so you don’t get dehydrated.
  • When you move from a lying or seated position to a standing position, get up slowly.
  • Avoid or limit drinking alcohol, if applicable.

To prevent a fall or accident when you’re feeling dizzy, do not drive or operate heavy machinery. Stay seated or in bed until the dizziness passes.

Is it usual to feel lightheaded every day?

Low blood sugar, dehydration, and lack of sleep can affect your balance and coordination. If you notice that you’re dizzy more often than not, it’s important to seek medical attention.

Why do I feel lightheaded and tired all day?

Dizziness and fatigue can come from various causes, including inner ear conditions, anemia, low blood pressure, dehydration, anxiety, stress, or medication side effects.

When should you worry about dizziness?

Severe, persistent, or sudden dizziness could indicate an underlying heart condition.

Seek emergency medical attention if you experience dizziness alongside chest pain, shortness of breath, or confusion, as this could point out a stroke.

What am I lacking if I keep getting lightheaded?

Lightheadedness and dizziness can result from some nutritional deficiencies, including a lack of iron. You can also experience lightheadedness if you haven’t had enough water or have gone too long without eating anything. Lightheadedness can also occur due to certain health conditions, including migraine and CFS, among others.

Read this article in Spanish.