Can anxiety cause dizziness? It can. Here’s why and how.

Common signs of anxiety include feeling fearful or overly worried. But, can anxiety cause dizziness? It can. And the mental impact and physical sensations of anxiety and dizziness can be intense and often unsettling. 

In this blog, we explore how anxiety can lead to dizziness, why this happens, and what you can do to manage it. Understanding the link between anxiety and dizziness can help you take better control of your mental and physical well-being. 

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Can anxiety cause dizziness? Yes.

Dizziness is a disorienting sensation that can make you feel unsteady, lightheaded, or like the room is spinning. While many people associate dizziness with physical health problems, it’s also a common symptom of anxiety disorders. Anxiety may cause acute (short-term, severe), frequent bouts, or chronic (ongoing) dizziness. 

There are several different types of anxiety, many of which involve dizziness and lightheadedness, including:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) — a type of anxiety that involves excessive fear or worry about everyday situations; it often involves physical symptoms, such as dizziness, lightheadedness, muscle tension, headache, stomachache, and fatigue.
• Panic disorder — a type of anxiety characterized by intense bouts of fear that often cause heart palpitations (a fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat), shortness of breath, and dizziness. 
• Phobias — phobia-induced anxiety involves irrational fears linked with certain situations or objects or situations that often lead to avoidance behaviors (such as avoiding what you are afraid of). Phobias can trigger physical symptoms like sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, and dizziness, particularly if they cause panic attacks.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) — involves intrusive (unwanted) thoughts called obsessions and ritualistic behaviors (urges) performed to help relieve anxiety caused by the unwanted thoughts. These urges are called compulsions. Physical symptoms of OCD can include muscle aches, insomnia, and symptoms that can mimic a heart attack, such as pain in the left arm, shortness of breath, and dizziness.
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — includes symptoms such as severe anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance (excessive alertness) related to a distressing, frightening, or traumatic event. PTSD triggers often cause physical symptoms such as dizziness, night sweats, and rapid heartbeat. 

How and why anxiety disorders cause dizziness

People with anxiety-induced dizziness often describe a feeling of lightheadedness or wooziness. You may feel a sensation of motion, spinning or swaying from side to side, even when standing still. Sometimes, crowded places or wide open areas can cause a feeling of unsteadiness. Physical changes in the brain cause these feelings, which are medically called “subjective sensations.” One example is the brain releasing cortisol (a hormone involved in the fight or flight response) in response to anxiety brought on by crowded places or being in open spaces because experiencing anxiety isn’t limited to being in an open space only. The extra cortisol may make people feel dizzy.

Anxiety can cause dizziness in a few other ways too, including:

Hyperventilation: Anxiety can cause a person to hyperventilate (breathe fast and shallow), which deprives the brain of adequate oxygen. When your brain doesn’t have enough oxygen, you can feel dizzy or faint. 

The fight-or-flight response: Anxiety causes the body to respond as though there’s a physical threat, which releases adrenaline (a stress hormone released in response to fear or stress). Adrenaline boosts energy, increases heart rate, and creates a state of alertness as it prepares your body for a fight-or-flight response. Physical changes caused by adrenaline — such as a sudden increase in heart rate and changes in blood pressure — deprive the brain of oxygen, which can cause dizziness. 

Can dizziness cause anxiety?

The relationship between anxiety and dizziness is complex. Some people have dizziness as a symptom of anxiety. Others suffer from unpleasant dizziness for physical reasons (such as problems with the middle ear or other conditions), which causes or worsens anxiety. 

Vertigo is a type of dizziness that’s often alarming and can lead to anxiety when left untreated. Vertigo is less common than dizziness in people with anxiety but is a potential symptom.

What else causes dizziness?

Vertigo is a type of dizziness that’s often alarming and can lead to anxiety when left untreated. Vertigo is less common than dizziness in people with anxiety but is a potential symptom.

Several factors can cause or contribute to dizziness, such as balance problems caused by conditions of the sensory organs (including the ears, eyes, and nerves). These organs let you perceive information and respond to your surroundings.

Sensory organs send messages to the brain involving motion perception. For example, the inner ears have sensors that help you maintain balance by detecting motion and gravity. Eye strain, visual problems, and visual overload (staring at a screen for long periods) can lead to dizziness. 

Vertigo is a type of dizziness characterized by a false sense of spinning or movement, even when standing still. Inner ear problems are the most common cause of vertigo and include: 

• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV): A type of vertigo triggered by specific head movements. 
• Labyrinthitis or vestibular neuritis: Infections of the inner ear caused by a cold or flu. 
• Ménière’s disease: An inner ear disorder involving a build-up of excess fluid in the ears that can cause vertigo, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), or hearing loss.

Other possible causes of dizziness not caused by inner ear problems include:

• Migraine: Migraines often cause vertigo episodes or other types of dizziness, which is triggered by headaches, noise, and light sensitivity. 
• Circulation problems: Causes of circulation problems include a sudden drop in blood pressure or heart conditions, such as arrhythmia (irregular heart rate), cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart that produces insufficient blood flow), or a heart attack. These conditions limit the blood flow to the brain, which can cause you to feel off balance, faint, or dizzy. 
• Medications: Some medications, such as sedatives, tranquilizers, and certain antidepressants, such as Elavil (amitriptyline), can cause dizziness.
• Dehydration: Typical signs of dehydration are increased body temperature, extreme thirst, dry mouth, hot or red skin, nausea, confusion, and dizziness.
• Heat stroke: Heat stroke is a heat-related condition that occurs when the core body temperature increases. Symptoms include hot, red skin that may not sweat, nausea, confusion, and dizziness.
• Low blood sugar: Hypoglycemia resulting from being too hungry or having diabetes and other factors can cause sweating, hunger, irregular heart rate, lightheadedness, and dizziness.

How to stop dizziness caused by anxiety

Anxiety can be overwhelming and make you feel out of control. But there’s good news. You can manage dizziness by getting treatment for your anxiety and/or with self-help remedies. 

Self-help remedies for dizziness from anxiety

You can stay safe and reduce discomfort when you feel dizzy by:

• Sitting down as soon as dizziness starts to lower your risk of falling. 
• Lying flat (if sitting doesn’t help). This promotes the flow of oxygen to your brain to address one potential cause of dizziness.
• Using a walking stick or holding on to furniture for support. 
• Pulling over safely right away if dizziness starts while driving.
• Avoiding caffeinated drinks, like coffee and tea, and tobacco use. Caffeine and nicotine restrict blood vessels and limit blood flow, which can contribute to dizziness.
• Employing stress management techniques — such as yoga, exercise, mindfulness, or meditation — can help manage the stress that fuels anxiety symptoms such as dizziness.

Medical help for dizziness from anxiety and other causes

Treatment for dizziness linked to anxiety and other causes ranges from therapy to prescription medication or even physical therapy. 

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — helps you identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts to reduce negative thinking and learn practical self-help strategies. Learning to calm down anxiety may help manage symptoms too. 
• Psychotherapy (talk therapy) — helps you increase your understanding of your specific type of anxiety and gives you tools to improve symptoms. Therapy helps anxiety by improving awareness and your ability to cope.
• Physical therapy — teaches you specific exercises to improve vestibular (small organs in the inner ear that influence movement perception and balance) functioning and reduce dizziness. Medication 
• Your provider may recommend medication to alleviate your anxiety and feel less dizzy. There are several common types of medications commonly diagnosed for anxiety and dizziness, including:

• Antidepressants — balance neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in your brain) that control mood or stress. 
• Anti-anxiety medications — such as benzodiazepines, like Xanax (alprazolam), Valium (diazepam), and Ativan (lorazepam), reduce symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, and extreme worry and fear. Anti-anxiety medications also help relieve vertigo caused by inner ear conditions. While useful for anxiety, providers may prescribe some anxiety medications only for short-term use because some anxiety meds can be addictive. 
• Beta-blockers — are medications that lower blood pressure, such as Inderal (propranolol) and Lopressor (metoprolol). They treat physical symptoms of anxiety, including heart palpitations (fast or irregular heart rate), high blood pressure, sweating, and dizziness.

What are other symptoms of anxiety disorders?

Dizziness is one of several anxiety symptoms, which vary from person to person. Your symptoms depend on the type of anxiety you have and can change over time. For example, someone with GAD worries constantly about multiple things, while someone with panic disorder may experience sudden and intense bouts of fear. 

Other common anxiety symptoms include:

• Trouble concentrating
• Having an impending sense of doom
• Sweating, shaking, or trembling
• Restlessness, irritability, or agitation
• Nausea or abdominal distress
• Tachycardia (fast heart rate)
• Muscle tension
• Nightmares
• Insomnia (difficulty sleeping)

When to get medical care for dizziness and/or anxiety

Consider seeking professional help for anxiety or dizziness if you experience: 

• Anxiety that interferes with your relationships, career, school, or other parts of your life
• Depression accompanied by anxiety
• Anxiety contributing to a physical health problem
• Inability to quit using drugs or alcohol (common causes of anxiety and dizziness)
• Severe nausea or vomiting
• Severe headaches
• Changes in speech
• Fainting
• Seizures
• Trouble breathing
• Suicidal thoughts or behaviors

Dizziness is also a common medication side effect. If you feel dizzy for several days and are on medication, especially a new one, contact your provider. 

Another indication it’s time to consult your healthcare provider is when self-help strategies for dizziness aren’t working or when dizziness causes distress or interferes with your quality of life. 

Key takeaway on dizziness and anxiety 

• Can anxiety cause dizziness? Yes. Dizziness is a symptom of many types of anxiety. Untreated dizziness may also lead to anxiety. 
• Other medical conditions, such as inner ear and visual problems, can cause dizziness.
• Self-help strategies can help you alleviate dizziness and stay safe until it passes. 
• Anxiety and dizziness are treatable conditions. Treatment for anxiety and dizziness includes psychological interventions like CBT, physical therapy, anxiety medication, anxiety therapy, or a combination of approaches. 

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