What could be causing my dizziness and head pain?

he Dizziness and Near-Fainting (Presyncope)
In a 67-year-old with your history, dizziness with a sensation of impending fainting is never "just dizziness." It indicates that your brain is not receiving enough blood flow or oxygen. Given that you have thyroid surgery in your history, we must consider that your calcium levels (regulated by the parathyroid glands, which are often affected during thyroid surgery) could be dangerously low (hypocalcemia), which causes dizziness, tingling, and even fainting. Furthermore, the dizziness could be cardiac in origin (arrhythmia) or neurological.

Dear Dolores, based on the symptoms you describe, I recommend that you have an in-person medical assessment today, preferably at an Emergency Department. If needed we can guide you trough a online appoitment, but will not be able to solve it here.

Dizziness or feeling that you are about to faint can have many causes, including low blood pressure or blood sugar, dehydration, medication side effects, heart rhythm abnormalities, or thyroid-related problems. However, in your case there are several reasons for caution: recurrent episodes, low blood pressure and heart rate, an oxygen saturation of 92%, and a new one-sided headache that has been present for two days.

It is not possible to determine the cause safely through an online consultation. At the hospital, your blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation should be rechecked, along with a blood glucose measurement, ECG and neurological examination. Depending on the findings, additional tests may be necessary.

If you currently have severe or worsening dizziness, difficulty breathing, chest pain, fainting, confusion, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, difficulty speaking, visual disturbances, or a sudden/severe headache, call 112 and do not drive yourself to hospital.

Until you are assessed, remain sitting or lying down to reduce the risk of falling, and ideally have someone stay with you. Take your complete medication list and any recent test results with you.

Based on what you describe — dizziness with a feeling you might faint, oxygen saturation at 92%, low blood pressure, low heart rate, and pain on the left side of your head for two days — this episode needs an in‑person medical evaluation. These symptoms can come from several causes, including blood pressure instability, heart rhythm changes, breathing issues related to asthma, glucose fluctuations, thyroid‑related changes even after surgery, or neurological conditions. Although dizziness can occur with fibromyalgia or osteoarthritis, the combination of low oxygen, low blood pressure, low heart rate, and persistent one‑sided head pain makes it important to be seen today. The safest next step is to go to urgent care or a hospital so they can repeat your vital signs, check your oxygen, perform an ECG, run basic blood tests, examine your neurological status, review your medications, and check for interactions of the medications you are currently on.