Pulmonary Embolism Symptoms
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
7. Dizziness or Light-headedness
When a pulmonary embolism obstructs blood flow to your lungs, it means that your heart cannot pump enough oxygenated blood to the other areas of your body that need it, including the brain. When your brain does not receive enough oxygen, you may start to experience symptoms of light-headedness or dizziness.
A heart attack can also cause symptoms of dizziness and/or light-headedness and for the same reason: lack of oxygen to the brain. However, dizziness and light-headedness due to a pulmonary embolism can cause you to faint, while this rarely happens during a heart attack.
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