Dizziness is a common symptom of anxiety stress and, and If one is experiencing anxiety, dizziness can result. On the other hand, dizziness can be anxiety producing. The vestibular system is responsible for sensing body position and movement in our surroundings.
Dizziness Can Be a Symptom of an Anxiety Disorder
Your breathing changes – when you feel anxious, you typically start to take in quick, deep breaths. This reduces the levels of carbon dioxide in your blood, which can cause dizziness as well as light-headedness, nausea and tingling in your hands and/or feet.
Chronic anxiety, or anxiety that occurs over an extended period of time, can cause a wide range of symptoms – but can anxiety make you dizzy? Surprisingly, yes. In fact, dizziness is a common symptom associated with both acute and chronic anxiety.
Staying active, finding ways to control your breathing, talking out your anxieties, and coming up with ways to de-escalate stressful situations can all provide relief from dizziness caused by anxiety.
Dizziness due to an episode of anxiety generally doesn't last all day. It can last a little longer than the anxiety episode itself. Dizziness due to chronic worry or stress (hyperstimulation) can last all day or longer. This type of anxiety dizziness can last as long as the body is chronically stressed.
Some medications that I've seen people successfully use for vertigo and anxiety include Valium or Xanax in the short term, and anti-anxiety medications such as Lexapro for more long term use.
If you are dizzy right now and have any of the following neurological symptoms along with your dizziness or vertigo, call 911 immediately: New confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech. New slurred speech or hoarseness of voice. New numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg.
Anxiety can cause dizziness in several ways: Vasovagal syncope: This common cause of fainting happens when blood pressure suddenly drops, causing a person to feel dizzy and confused. Subjective sensations: Anxiety may make a person feel emotionally unsteady, which may cause the subjective feeling of dizziness.
Stress, worry, or anxiety may cause other kinds of dizziness. It might feel more like lightheadedness than spinning. One form of this is chronic subjective dizziness — a vague feeling of imbalance. It happens more often in people with anxiety and in places where your senses have to take in a lot of information.
Some of the main causes are: dehydration(not having enough fluids in your body) a drop in blood pressure when you stand up quickly. feelings of anxiety or panic.
The Difference Between Vertigo and Dizziness
Vertigo is actually a subtype of dizziness, and technically anxiety does not cause vertigo. Vertigo is the feeling that you're in motion (or the world's in motion) when you're actually stationary.
For people who are experiencing dizziness when they wake up, dysfunction in the circulatory system or peripheral vestibular system may be the cause. Some medications can also cause morning dizziness, as can alcohol and recreational drugs. Even dehydration or low blood sugar can make you feel dizzy.
Psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression can present with dizziness or lightheadedness as a symptom. Some research indicates that as many as 20% of people with dizziness experienced high levels of psychological distress.
Psychogenic dizziness is defined as recurring or persistent symptoms of balance dysfunction, inconsistent with organic vestibular disease as determined by history, clinical examination and pertinent investigations, and consistent with emotional origin.
People with anxiety disorders often feel that their concerns are not taken seriously or that "it's all in their heads." This minimizes their pain and discomfort, and leaves psychiatric and associated medical conditions unaddressed. It should be noted that the statement "it's all in your head" is not entirely wrong.
Anxiety causes a heavy head feeling because of tension headaches common in people living with the disorder. Most people describe these headaches as feeling like a tight band wrapped around their heads. A tightening of the scalp and neck muscles also causes an anxiety headache.
Panic disorder involves repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks). You may have feelings of impending doom, shortness of breath, chest pain, or a rapid, fluttering or pounding heart (heart palpitations).
“Red flag” symptoms should alert you to a non-vestibular cause: persistent, worsening vertigo or dysequilibrium; atypical “non-peripheral” vertigo, such as vertical movement; severe headache, especially early in the morning; diplopia; cranial nerve palsies; dysarthria, ataxia, or other cerebellar signs; and ...
In general, if dizziness lasts longer than a few days, or is severe enough to keep you from normal activities, you should talk with your doctor. Depending on the cause, there are medications and physical therapy options that may give you some relief.
Dizziness has many possible causes, including inner ear disturbance, motion sickness and medication effects. Sometimes it's caused by an underlying health condition, such as poor circulation, infection or injury.
Anxiety that interferes with day-to-day functioning or affects work, school, or social life, may be a symptom of an anxiety disorder. This interruption in daily routine is often the point at which treatment interventions are needed.
Anxiety disorders are a type of mental health condition. Anxiety makes it difficult to get through your day. Symptoms include feelings of nervousness, panic and fear as well as sweating and a rapid heartbeat. Treatments include medications and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Sit or lie down immediately when you feel dizzy. Lie still with your eyes closed in a darkened room if you're experiencing a severe episode of vertigo. Avoid driving a car or operating heavy machinery if you experience frequent dizziness without warning. Avoid using caffeine, alcohol, salt and tobacco.