Modern set phrase rather than a classical chengyu — Xinhua attributes a representative usage to 20th-century writer Ye Shengtao (
叶圣陶) in his story 《
友谊》: '
她又不是发烧发得头昏脑胀的' ('It's not as if she's running a fever that's left her dizzy and dazed'). Also written
头昏脑涨 with the variant
涨.
