Can Anemia Cause Dizziness? Warm AIHA and Feeling Faint

Medically reviewed by Warren Brenner, M.D.

Written by Anastasia Climan, RDN, CDN

Posted on September 29, 2026

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Key Takeaways

Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) can cause dizziness because the immune system mistakenly destroys red blood cells too quickly, leaving the body without enough oxygen delivery to function well.
Dizziness in AIHA can feel like weakness, nausea, lightheadedness, or a spinning sensation, and it can range from mild to severe enough to cause falls or fainting. Other possible causes of dizziness include dehydration, low blood pressure, medications, and inner ear problems, so it is worth paying attention to when and how dizziness happens.
If dizziness strikes, sit or lie down somewhere safe, move slowly when getting back up, avoid driving, and track your symptoms including when they happen and how long they last so you can share that information with your healthcare team.

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Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) can leave you feeling dizzy, sometimes to the point of feeling like you might fall or pass out.

“I’m constantly dizzy and lightheaded, and I get a racing heart. When I get low on air, I get ‘noodle legs!’” shared a myAIHAteam member.

“I get dizzy spells. I can hardly walk, and I feel like I sleep all the time,” wrote another member.

🗳️ How often does dizziness or feeling faint affect you?

Every day

Most weeks

Once in a while

Never

Dizziness can have many possible causes, including anemia. Here’s what you should know if you’re having trouble finding steady ground while living with AIHA.

How Can Anemia Cause Dizziness?

To understand why anemia may cause dizziness, it helps to know what red blood cells do.

Red blood cells contain a protein called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin picks up oxygen in the lungs and carries it through the bloodstream to tissues throughout the body. Your brain, heart, liver, and other organs rely on this steady oxygen supply.

Anemia means you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen effectively. With severe anemia, your tissues aren’t getting the oxygen they need. As a result, anemia can cause symptoms like dizziness.

Dizziness can feel different from person to person. People have described it as feeling:

Weak
Off balance
Nauseated
Confused
Like the room is spinning

Anemia is more likely to cause symptoms when it’s severe or develops quickly. Someone whose hemoglobin falls suddenly may feel worse than someone who has had anemia for a while.

Warm AIHA and Dizziness Symptoms

Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia is an autoimmune condition. That means the immune system attacks the body’s healthy cells — in this case, red blood cells.

Normally, red blood cells live for about 120 days. Then the spleen destroys and recycles them.

In people with warm AIHA, antibodies attach to red blood cells, tagging the cells for destruction. This process of red blood cells being mistakenly tagged and destroyed too quickly is called hemolysis. Hemolysis of red blood cells results in anemia.

A drop in red blood cells and hemoglobin can lower how much oxygen gets delivered throughout the body. This is one reason people with warm AIHA may experience episodes of dizziness or feel faint.

What Does AIHA Feel Like?

Members of myAIHAteam often share what it feels like to live with AIHA.

“I was so dizzy and fatigued while walking the dog for 30 minutes. I had to stop three times and even lie down on a bench until the nausea passed,” wrote one member. “This is not good.”

“I was so dizzy and fatigued while walking the dog for 30 minutes. I had to stop three times and even lie down on a bench until the nausea passed.”

— A myAIHAteam member

The symptoms of AIHA can vary depending on how fast the anemia develops and how low hemoglobin levels are. Common anemia symptoms include:

Fatigue — You may feel unusually tired even after getting enough sleep. Everyday activities that normally feel easy may take more effort.
Pale skin — Reduced red blood cells can make the skin and gums look paler than usual.
Heart palpitations — Your heart may beat faster or feel as though it is pounding, fluttering, or skipping beats. This can happen because the heart is working harder to deliver oxygen to the body’s tissues.
Shortness of breath — You may notice that you become winded more easily, particularly when walking, climbing stairs, or exercising.
Lightheadedness — Reduced oxygen delivery may contribute to a feeling that you are going to faint, especially when you are active or stand up quickly.

Not everyone with warm AIHA has all of these symptoms. Your symptoms may get better if your condition is well controlled.

What Else Causes Dizziness?

Anemia can contribute to dizziness, but it’s important to consider other possible causes, too. Other causes of dizziness may include:

Dehydration — Not drinking enough fluids, heavy sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, or illness can lead to dehydration. Losing too much fluid can affect your blood pressure and make you feel dizzy or faint.

Low blood pressure — A sudden drop in blood pressure, particularly when standing up, can cause lightheadedness. This is sometimes called orthostatic or postural hypotension.

Low blood sugar — Taking certain diabetes medications or going too long without eating or can cause blood sugar to drop. Symptoms may include dizziness, sweating, shakiness, weakness, and confusion.

Medications — Some medications can cause dizziness or lower blood pressure. If you recently started a medication or changed a dose and began feeling dizzy, tell your healthcare provider.

Inner-ear problems — The inner ear helps control balance. Problems involving the inner ear can cause vertigo, which is a sensation that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving.

Heart problems — Certain heart rhythm problems and other cardiovascular conditions can cause dizziness, weakness, or fainting. If you have heart disease and feel dizzy, contact your doctor.

Other Possible Causes

Dizziness can also be related to anxiety, stress, motion sickness, head injuries, and other medical conditions.

Because there are so many possible causes, unexplained dizziness is worth discussing with your healthcare provider. It helps to be as detailed as possible when you describe what dizziness feels like, along with how and when you experience it.

How Can You Stay Safe?

If you suddenly feel dizzy or faint, your first priority should be preventing a fall or injury.

“My AIHA has caused two falls now,” wrote a myAIHAteam member. “In the first fall I broke my tailbone because I fell onto a hard surface, and in the second fall I hit my head.”

“If you’re weak, fatigued, and dizzy, be very careful about walking up and down stairs without an escort,” suggested another member. “Also, be careful in the shower. Have a shower chair and a safety bar in the shower, along with a handheld showerhead, so you can shower sitting down. A fractured hip is the last thing you want to have in the struggle with this illness.”

“If you’re weak, fatigued, and dizzy, be very careful about walking up and down stairs without an escort. Also, be careful in the shower.”

— A myAIHAteam member

Don’t try to push through severe dizziness. Sit down somewhere safe or lie down until the feeling passes. When you’re ready to get up, move gradually from lying down to sitting and then standing.

Hold on to something stable. If you need to walk while you feel slightly unsteady, use a sturdy surface for support. Avoid stairs until you feel steady again.

Be sure to avoid driving when you’re dizzy. Dizziness can affect your balance, concentration, and reaction time. It’s not safe to drive or operate machinery while you feel faint or unsteady.

If dehydration may be contributing to your symptoms, drinking fluids may help. But make sure to follow any fluid restrictions or other instructions your healthcare team has given you.

Finally, keep track of your symptoms. This information can help your healthcare team figure out the cause. When you feel dizzy, note:

When the dizziness occurred
How long it lasted
What you were doing
Whether you had other symptoms, such as palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, or bleeding

Treat the Underlying Anemia

When dizziness is related to warm AIHA, treating the underlying condition and improving the anemia can help.

Treatment options for AIHA may include:

Steroids
Other medications to calm the immune system and decrease the breakdown of red blood cells
Splenectomy (spleen removal)
Blood transfusions

Your healthcare team may monitor your hemoglobin and perform other blood tests to track whether red blood cell destruction is continuing or whether your anemia is improving.

If you have warm AIHA and notice new or worsening dizziness, let your healthcare team know. They may want to determine whether your anemia has become worse or whether something else is causing the symptom.

When Is Feeling Faint a Medical Emergency?

Mild, occasional lightheadedness isn’t always an emergency. However, you should have some symptoms checked right away. Seek urgent medical attention if you feel faint and also:

Have chest pain or shortness of breath
Have a very fast or irregular heartbeat
Are confused and can’t talk or understand what’s being said
Have severe weakness in your face, arms, or legs
Can’t stay awake or stand up
Have vision changes
Have sudden and severe vomiting, headache, or neck pain

If you’re living with warm AIHA, more severe symptoms can mean your condition is getting worse. It’s important to communicate with your AIHA specialist about any new or worsening dizziness or other symptoms.

References