Dizziness due to stress: symptoms, causes, duration and treatment

If a person is very worried about different situations that invade their thoughts, they will surely feel anguished, tired, irritated and dizzy. While it is true that each person manages their emotions differently, anyone can be affected by social and family demands that cause them concern.

When this happens, it can cause unfavorable consequences such as the sensation of being at a very high altitude and cause a high fear of this fact. If you want to know more about this symptom, in this Psychology-Online article, we will explain what the Stress Vertigo: Symptoms, Causes, Duration, and Treatment.

Index

1. What are stress vertigos
2. Symptoms of stress vertigo
3. Causes of stress vertigo
4. Treatment of vertigo due to stress

Stress vertigo is a clinical picture that causes a dizzy feeling for various reasons. Unlike vertigo caused by being at a considerable height, stress vertigo manifests itself in stressful life situations.

Although it is true that it is not fully defined, due to its clinical qualities, this type of stress vertigo can be included within the acute stress disorder that describes the DSM-V^[1]. Moreover, in order to reach a specific diagnosis, it is essential that the following be met: diagnostic criteria:

• Distressing memories of some event experienced.
• Distorted perception of reality, in this case, would be the sensation of vertigo.
• Avoid places associated with the traumatic event.
• Difficulty getting to sleep.
• Changing mood.
• The alterations cannot be explained by another mental disorder or by the intake of toxic substances or medications.

How do I know if I have stress vertigo? In order to detect it in time, it is necessary to know how it manifests itself. For this reason, we will describe the main symptoms of stress vertigo below:

• Loss of body balance.
• Dizziness.
• Nausea.
• vomiting
• Irritability.
• Feeling of insecurity.

Despite the description made, it should be clarified that the presence of any of these symptoms in isolation does not mean that you suffer from stress vertigo. In case of recurrence of the mentioned symptoms, it is best to See a specialized health professional.

When does stress vertigo last?

Although it is not possible to circumscribe a specific duration of stress vertigo, it can be inferred that symptoms of this condition persist for an average of 15 days. However, there may be temporary variations depending on the individual traits of each person, which will also determine the intensity of the vertigo.

Knowing the origin of the condition is very important to understand how symptoms manifest of this condition in each person. In this way, strategies can be implemented to reduce the intensity of the pathology. So, in the following items you will see what are the causes of stress vertigo:

• Environmental factors: They represent one of the most common causes of stress vertigo. In general terms, it refers to having experienced some traumatic experience that alternates daily life. The experiences can oscillate between having suffered family abuse, sexual abuse, loss of loved ones, or traffic accidents, among others. Thus, the cause of the vertigo will depend on the personal history of each one.
• Genetic factors: although it is true that the main causes are tension and stress itself, vertigo can also have a biological basis. There are sectors of the central nervous system that are linked to the processing of emotions. Faced with stressful moments, these alarms are activated and give rise to the symptoms of stress vertigo.

How to eliminate vertigo due to stress? There are different effective methods to address its symptoms. We see them below:

• psychological therapy: In cases of vertigo due to stress, it is important to combat tension and situations that cause stress. Psychological therapy provides tools that allow us to cope with complicated situations in a more pleasant way. In therapy with a specialized health professional, the specific aspects that make each one nervous are worked on in a period of personalized sessions.
• psychiatric medication: if the symptoms do not subside after a considerable time and with psychological help, there is the option of resorting to the psychotropic drugs. Taking them must be authorized and supervised by a specialist doctor.

This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Dizziness due to stress: symptoms, causes, duration and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

1. American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: Panamerican Medical Editorial.

• Harari Masri, N., Roa Castro, F. (2019). Vertigo: review of the main peripheral and central disorders. Medigraphic Magazine, 64 (4), 290-296.