Symptoms of Dizziness and Vertigo
I understand that we all experience dizziness and the onset of dizziness in different ways.Some peoples symptoms may come and go whilst others suffer all day everyday. My experience may be different to the next unfortunate soul. The intensity, duration, frequency and range of symptoms will vary from person to person. That being said I have noticed that we dizzies regardless of diagnoses describe many of the same sensations and share the same life altering effects that vestibular dysfunction causes. Of course my experience is unique to me but i am sure many of you will relate.
If you are a family member or friend of a dizzy person reading this then I should start by describing what vertigo and/or dizziness related to vestibular dysfunction feels like. If you are lucky enough to never have experienced vertigo or dizziness related to a vestibular disorder then jump around with joy because I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It is unlike anything you have ever felt. It is not feeling a little lightheaded or a little "spaced out" for a few moments. Dizziness and vertigo caused by vestibular dysfunction is a terrifying experience. You lose all control of your senses central to your core functioning. It will literally throw you to the floor. It is a scary, sweat inducing, heart racing, disorientating hell that some of us seem destined to encounter.
The truth is once your vestibular system is out of whack everything feels awful. Your spatial awareness, balance, cognitive ability and vision are temporarily or permanently ( as in my case) altered and you can no longer function normally. The level of disorientation can be overwhelming as it scrambles your senses into complete disarray. It is not something a person can "learn to live with" or "shake off". When you have a healthy vestibular system everything is fine and dandy, you wouldn't give your vestibular system a second thought ( hell, i didn't even know I had a vestibular system) but if something goes wrong, look out. The simplest of everyday tasks become very difficult.
My vertigo attack happened on Friday May 25th 2007 and my symptoms have never left. They are present from the moment I open my eyes to the moment I go to sleep at night, they are never ever gone, I repeat They are never ever gone!!. This fact dumbfounds many people. The idea that you can possibly live with a never ending relentless illness with absolutely no let up day after day and year after year seems a very hard notion to grasp for many. I have heard "You must feel good some days" or that "You must feel ok sometimes". I can promise you not even for 1 second. It doesn't matter if you see me smiling, walking, watching TV or laughing, The fact is I am constantly enduring many uncomfortable sensations. Only fellow sufferers will truly understand what I am saying. I am not experiencing short dizzy spells that come and go but constant, round the clock dizziness and vertigo. Simple tasks such as cooking, reading, talking to another person for a length of time, walking, standing, turning my head or brushing my teeth can up the intensity of my symptoms dramatically. I feel "out of it" at all times and the world before me bobs and sways along with the inside of my skull. For many years I felt like I have an invisible elastic band wrapped around my head causing constant pressure.
Dizziness/Vertigo Symptoms:
I first saw this symptom list on a site called Dizzytimes.com and it was posted by senior member Frances. It is a list of symptoms published by the Vestibular Disorders Association and it describes my situation perfectly.I have modified the list somewhat to better suit my situation. These symptoms can be overwhelming at times and are always present.I can honestly say I pretty much experience every single one. I have taken this list with me to many hospital consultations.
Vertigo and dizziness
▪ True spinning vertigo attacks, Constant visual vertigo or whirling sensation; an illusion of movement of self and the world
▪ Lightheaded, floating, or rocking sensation
▪ Sensation of being heavily weighted or pulled in one direction.Detached, spaced out feeling all of the time.
Balance Problems and spatial orientation issues
▪ Imbalance, stumbling, difficulty walking straight or turning a corner. Floor feels like it is lifting me up and down when standing or walking
▪ Clumsiness or difficulty with coordination
▪ Tendency to look downward to confirm the location of the
ground
▪ Tendency to touch or hold onto something when standing, Activity increases Imbalance
▪ Sensitivity to changes in walking surfaces or footwear
Vision
▪ Trouble focusing or tracking objects with the eyes; objects or words on a page seem to jump, bounce,
float, or blur or may appear doubled. Eyes feel stiff and slow
▪ Discomfort from busy visual environments such as traffic, crowds, stores, and patterns. Walls and floors appear to arc and bend
▪ Sensitivity to light, glare, and moving or flickering lights
▪ Tendency to focus on nearby objects; increased discomfort when focusing at a distance
▪ Increased night blindness; difficulty walking in the dark
▪ Poor depth perception, Bouncing vision whilst walking, Fuzzy, static like vision
Hearing
▪ Fluctuating hearing
▪ Tinnitus (ringing ears, roaring) only in the very beginning was it loud then faded over the years, still have it occasionally lasting 10sec or so )
▪ Hyperacusis, Sudden loud sounds may increase symptoms of vertigo, dizziness, or imbalance
Cognitive and psychological
▪ Difficulty concentrating and paying attention
▪ Forgetfulness and short-term memory lapses
▪ Confusion, disorientation, difficulty comprehending directions or instructions
▪ Difficulty following speakers in conversations, meetings, etc., especially when there is background
noise or movement
▪ Mental and/or physical fatigue out of proportion to activity
▪ Loss of self-reliance, self-confidence, self-esteem
▪ Anxiety, panic
▪ Depression
Other ( These luckily don't really effect me except for mild headaches)
▪ Nausea or vomiting
▪ "Hangover" or "seasick" feeling in the head
▪ Motion sickness
▪ Ear pain
▪ Sensation of fullness in the ears
▪ Headache with dizziness
▪ Sensitivity to pressure or temperature changes and wind currents
Each symptom will vary in intensity depending on my immediate surroundings and/or my level of activity. Examples would be busy places such as supermarkets. Supermarkets are terrible for increasing imbalance, disorientation and reducing cognitive ability due to the amount of visual stimuli. Places with artificial lighting or a dark room, even a dull overcast day will increase all my symptoms such as the sensation of the floor lifting me up and down, my proprioception will be affected ( I will actually feel lost in space,floating). Long conversation or concentration that requires plenty of eye focus will rapidly increase the imbalance and fuzzy static like vision. So imagine what it feels like when you combine the three situations (a normal day for everybody else) of walking in a busy supermarket with artificial lighting whilst trying to communicate with a friend, it can be hell. That is why I can probably count on both hands the amount of times I have entered a supermarket over the years since being dizzy. Multitasking and a vestibular disorder do not mix.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT
Maybe you are familiar with a few of the symptoms above or maybe you have experienced them all. The truth is that it's damn hard living with dizziness and/or vertigo. It is physically and mentally challenging. The symptoms quite frankly stop you living a normal life. I have basically been house bound for over a decade because of my condition. Simple things we all take for granted such as turning a corner or reading a book, drying your hair or simply being sociable are suddenly difficult and disorientating. I can remember when eating a biscuit was an assault on the senses. I have spent many moments wondering why me. Struck down with no warning in the prime of my life, Whilst my friends furthered their careers, got married, planned families and flew off on holidays. I flew off to planet vertigo and have not been able to get a return ticket to normality, it's a hellish destination. People make the assumption I have one constant symptom that being dizziness, when in reality it's a whole host of symptoms. I say that my condition "effects everything and is effected by everything" from moment to moment.
If you are a family member or friend of a dizzy person reading this then I should start by describing what vertigo and/or dizziness related to vestibular dysfunction feels like. If you are lucky enough to never have experienced vertigo or dizziness related to a vestibular disorder then jump around with joy because I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It is unlike anything you have ever felt. It is not feeling a little lightheaded or a little "spaced out" for a few moments. Dizziness and vertigo caused by vestibular dysfunction is a terrifying experience. You lose all control of your senses central to your core functioning. It will literally throw you to the floor. It is a scary, sweat inducing, heart racing, disorientating hell that some of us seem destined to encounter.
The truth is once your vestibular system is out of whack everything feels awful. Your spatial awareness, balance, cognitive ability and vision are temporarily or permanently ( as in my case) altered and you can no longer function normally. The level of disorientation can be overwhelming as it scrambles your senses into complete disarray. It is not something a person can "learn to live with" or "shake off". When you have a healthy vestibular system everything is fine and dandy, you wouldn't give your vestibular system a second thought ( hell, i didn't even know I had a vestibular system) but if something goes wrong, look out. The simplest of everyday tasks become very difficult.
My vertigo attack happened on Friday May 25th 2007 and my symptoms have never left. They are present from the moment I open my eyes to the moment I go to sleep at night, they are never ever gone, I repeat They are never ever gone!!. This fact dumbfounds many people. The idea that you can possibly live with a never ending relentless illness with absolutely no let up day after day and year after year seems a very hard notion to grasp for many. I have heard "You must feel good some days" or that "You must feel ok sometimes". I can promise you not even for 1 second. It doesn't matter if you see me smiling, walking, watching TV or laughing, The fact is I am constantly enduring many uncomfortable sensations. Only fellow sufferers will truly understand what I am saying. I am not experiencing short dizzy spells that come and go but constant, round the clock dizziness and vertigo. Simple tasks such as cooking, reading, talking to another person for a length of time, walking, standing, turning my head or brushing my teeth can up the intensity of my symptoms dramatically. I feel "out of it" at all times and the world before me bobs and sways along with the inside of my skull. For many years I felt like I have an invisible elastic band wrapped around my head causing constant pressure.
Dizziness/Vertigo Symptoms:
I first saw this symptom list on a site called Dizzytimes.com and it was posted by senior member Frances. It is a list of symptoms published by the Vestibular Disorders Association and it describes my situation perfectly.I have modified the list somewhat to better suit my situation. These symptoms can be overwhelming at times and are always present.I can honestly say I pretty much experience every single one. I have taken this list with me to many hospital consultations.
Vertigo and dizziness
▪ True spinning vertigo attacks, Constant visual vertigo or whirling sensation; an illusion of movement of self and the world
▪ Lightheaded, floating, or rocking sensation
▪ Sensation of being heavily weighted or pulled in one direction.Detached, spaced out feeling all of the time.
Balance Problems and spatial orientation issues
▪ Imbalance, stumbling, difficulty walking straight or turning a corner. Floor feels like it is lifting me up and down when standing or walking
▪ Clumsiness or difficulty with coordination
▪ Tendency to look downward to confirm the location of the
ground
▪ Tendency to touch or hold onto something when standing, Activity increases Imbalance
▪ Sensitivity to changes in walking surfaces or footwear
Vision
▪ Trouble focusing or tracking objects with the eyes; objects or words on a page seem to jump, bounce,
float, or blur or may appear doubled. Eyes feel stiff and slow
▪ Discomfort from busy visual environments such as traffic, crowds, stores, and patterns. Walls and floors appear to arc and bend
▪ Sensitivity to light, glare, and moving or flickering lights
▪ Tendency to focus on nearby objects; increased discomfort when focusing at a distance
▪ Increased night blindness; difficulty walking in the dark
▪ Poor depth perception, Bouncing vision whilst walking, Fuzzy, static like vision
Hearing
▪ Fluctuating hearing
▪ Tinnitus (ringing ears, roaring) only in the very beginning was it loud then faded over the years, still have it occasionally lasting 10sec or so )
▪ Hyperacusis, Sudden loud sounds may increase symptoms of vertigo, dizziness, or imbalance
Cognitive and psychological
▪ Difficulty concentrating and paying attention
▪ Forgetfulness and short-term memory lapses
▪ Confusion, disorientation, difficulty comprehending directions or instructions
▪ Difficulty following speakers in conversations, meetings, etc., especially when there is background
noise or movement
▪ Mental and/or physical fatigue out of proportion to activity
▪ Loss of self-reliance, self-confidence, self-esteem
▪ Anxiety, panic
▪ Depression
Other ( These luckily don't really effect me except for mild headaches)
▪ Nausea or vomiting
▪ "Hangover" or "seasick" feeling in the head
▪ Motion sickness
▪ Ear pain
▪ Sensation of fullness in the ears
▪ Headache with dizziness
▪ Sensitivity to pressure or temperature changes and wind currents
Each symptom will vary in intensity depending on my immediate surroundings and/or my level of activity. Examples would be busy places such as supermarkets. Supermarkets are terrible for increasing imbalance, disorientation and reducing cognitive ability due to the amount of visual stimuli. Places with artificial lighting or a dark room, even a dull overcast day will increase all my symptoms such as the sensation of the floor lifting me up and down, my proprioception will be affected ( I will actually feel lost in space,floating). Long conversation or concentration that requires plenty of eye focus will rapidly increase the imbalance and fuzzy static like vision. So imagine what it feels like when you combine the three situations (a normal day for everybody else) of walking in a busy supermarket with artificial lighting whilst trying to communicate with a friend, it can be hell. That is why I can probably count on both hands the amount of times I have entered a supermarket over the years since being dizzy. Multitasking and a vestibular disorder do not mix.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT
Maybe you are familiar with a few of the symptoms above or maybe you have experienced them all. The truth is that it's damn hard living with dizziness and/or vertigo. It is physically and mentally challenging. The symptoms quite frankly stop you living a normal life. I have basically been house bound for over a decade because of my condition. Simple things we all take for granted such as turning a corner or reading a book, drying your hair or simply being sociable are suddenly difficult and disorientating. I can remember when eating a biscuit was an assault on the senses. I have spent many moments wondering why me. Struck down with no warning in the prime of my life, Whilst my friends furthered their careers, got married, planned families and flew off on holidays. I flew off to planet vertigo and have not been able to get a return ticket to normality, it's a hellish destination. People make the assumption I have one constant symptom that being dizziness, when in reality it's a whole host of symptoms. I say that my condition "effects everything and is effected by everything" from moment to moment.