Prayers are going up after people heard music legend Lionel Richie being reportedly admitted to an intensive care unit following his Saturday, August 29, performance in St. Louis.
According to People, the 77-year-old singer checked himself into the ICU as a precaution after performing at The Muny as part of his Sing a Song All Night Long tour with Earth, Wind & Fire. During the final song of the night, “All Night Long,” Richie reportedly asked his team to bring him a chair.
Neither Richie nor his representatives had publicly disclosed a diagnosis at the time of the report. His current condition and the status of his upcoming performances also had not been officially confirmed.
The hospitalization follows a separate incident earlier this summer. On June 24, Richie cut his St. Paul, Minnesota, concert short after becoming dizzy onstage. He initially tried to continue performing while seated but eventually left the stage and was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
Richie postponed two concerts on his doctors’ advice before returning to the stage June 30 in Pittsburgh. He later reassured fans that he was doing well.
Dizziness is not a diagnosis. It can describe several sensations, including feeling faint, weak, unsteady or as though the room is spinning. Its causes range from relatively minor problems to potentially life-threatening emergencies.
Without information from Richie or his medical team, it would be inappropriate to say what caused his symptoms. Doctors evaluating recurring dizziness may consider several possibilities:
Performing beneath stage lights for an extended period can lead to significant fluid loss. Dehydration may lower blood pressure and cause weakness, fatigue, dizziness or fainting.
Severe dehydration can affect kidney function, disturb the body’s electrolyte balance and contribute to dangerously low blood pressure. These complications may require intravenous fluids and close hospital monitoring.
Orthostatic hypotension occurs when blood pressure falls after a person stands or changes position. It can result from dehydration, medication side effects, blood loss or an underlying heart or nervous-system condition.
A major or persistent drop in blood pressure can prevent the brain and other organs from receiving enough blood and oxygen.
Blood-pressure medications, diuretics, sedatives and certain heart medicines can cause dizziness—particularly in older adults or people who are dehydrated. Doctors may review a patient’s medications and dosages when dizziness keeps returning.
Patients should not discontinue prescribed medications without speaking with a medical professional.
Hypoglycemia can cause dizziness, sweating, shaking, weakness, confusion and, in severe cases, seizures or loss of consciousness. It can be especially dangerous for people who take insulin or certain other diabetes medications.
Anemia prevents the body from carrying enough oxygen-rich blood to its tissues. Possible symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath and a rapid heartbeat.
Severe anemia—or anemia caused by active internal bleeding—can require urgent treatment, blood transfusions and intensive monitoring.
Conditions such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular neuritis, labyrinthitis and inner-ear infections can interfere with balance and create a spinning sensation.
Although these disorders can be extremely uncomfortable and increase the risk of falling, uncomplicated inner-ear vertigo generally does not require ICU treatment.
An abnormal heart rhythm can prevent the heart from pumping enough blood to the brain. Symptoms may include dizziness, fainting, heart palpitations, chest pain or shortness of breath.
Some rhythm disturbances are mild, but others can cause cardiac arrest or dangerously low blood pressure. Those cases may require continuous heart monitoring and emergency treatment in an ICU.
A heart attack does not always begin with dramatic chest pain. Some people—particularly older adults and people with diabetes—may experience dizziness, unusual fatigue, nausea, sweating or shortness of breath.
Heart failure can also decrease blood flow and oxygen delivery, causing weakness, lightheadedness and difficulty breathing. Either condition can require intensive care when it leads to unstable blood pressure, an abnormal heart rhythm or respiratory distress.
Sudden dizziness can sometimes be a sign of a stroke, particularly when it occurs with difficulty walking, loss of coordination, double vision, facial drooping, weakness, numbness, confusion or slurred speech.
A stroke involving the brainstem or cerebellum may prominently affect balance and coordination. Because rapid treatment can reduce permanent brain damage, suspected stroke symptoms require immediate emergency care.
An infection can cause dizziness through fever, dehydration or falling blood pressure. If the body develops an extreme response known as sepsis, blood pressure may become dangerously low and organs can begin to fail.
Sepsis and septic shock are medical emergencies that commonly require ICU treatment.
Being admitted to an ICU does not necessarily mean that a person is critically ill. An older adult with recurring or unexplained dizziness may be placed there temporarily for continuous monitoring and quick access to treatment.
However, conditions associated with dizziness that can warrant intensive care include:
Doctors may conduct an electrocardiogram, blood tests, blood-pressure checks, neurological examinations and brain imaging to determine whether dizziness is coming from the heart, brain, inner ear, medications or another cause.
Dizziness should be treated as an emergency when it appears suddenly or occurs with:
Anyone experiencing these symptoms should call 911 rather than attempting to drive to the hospital.
For now, it is important not to assume that Richie’s ICU admission confirms any particular illness. According to the initial report, the hospitalization was precautionary, and no official diagnosis had been announced. His earlier episode and the recurrence of symptoms, however, demonstrate why persistent dizziness—especially in an older adult—deserves a thorough medical evaluation.
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