FAQ
Browse a selection of our most frequently asked questions and answers about balance and dizziness disorders. Submit your own question here.
Balance
If you feel more anxious when on these surfaces, here are some suggestions you could explore.
You may try to first just stand on the edge of that surface. While standing there, just notice your body. “Scan” it with your attention, all the way from the soles of your feet to your head. Notice any areas of tension and soften them if you can. Notice whether your heart is beating fast, your breathing is shallow or you are sweating. If that is happening, take some deep breaths, with a longer out-breath, like a sigh of relief. Intentionally relax and slow down. Take as much time as you need to feel calm, relaxed and safe just standing there.
Then you may also want to work on some sort of habituation to these surfaces. I’d try starting with some walking poles and see if you feel more stable and less like falling when on these types of surfaces. You’d want to try perhaps just a few steps at a time, for just as long as you feel safe. You would want to repeat this several times a week for some practice and exposure. If the process works, you should start to feel that you don’t tense up as much and feel more relaxed. Then you could try using only one pole and repeat until you feel stable. You could then try using no poles and see how you are.
These are the poles we normally recommend, but you may be able to find a cheaper alternative:
Covid-19
We have been asked whether COVID-19 vaccines can cause dizziness and whether the vaccines can worsen pre-existing vestibular conditions. COVID-19 is a recently discovered disease – there are still not enough data to answer these questions. Anecdotally, we have heard of some people experiencing new or increased dizziness after being vaccinated.
Fortunately most reported side effects of the vaccines have been short-term, lasting up to several days. Read the weekly report on COVID-19 vaccine safety (Government of Canada) for more details. A search in May, 2021 on the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) website returned dizziness being a reported side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine in 12% of people.
Short-term dizziness after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is usually related to an anxiety-related response rather than a reaction to the vaccine itself according to an article in Medical News Today. Some people who have had anxiety-related reactions after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine have reported similar reactions after vaccinations to prevent other diseases.
Dizziness after a COVID-19 vaccination can sometimes be a symptom of an allergic reaction, but this is most common in the first 15 to 30 minutes after vaccination, according to the CDC.
Balance & Dizziness Canada is not a medical clinic and thus does not track or report adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine. Should you experience significant new or worsening dizziness following COVID-19 immunization in Canada, please ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to complete the Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) form. If you have any questions or have difficulties contacting your local health unit, contact Vaccine Safety Section at Public Health Agency of Canada (Tel: 1-866-844-0018; Fax 1-866-844-5931).
Although the effects of a COVID-19 infection are mild for most people, for many they are severe and long-lasting or even deadly. However, when the number of adverse reactions to the vaccines is compared with the number of “long-haulers” or those who have died from COVID-19, it is still safe to consider that the likely protection offered by the available vaccines appears to greatly outweigh any risks of being vaccinated.
– Balance & Dizziness Canada
Dizziness
Our page “Other Causes” lists Anxiety and Panic Attacks as possible causes for dizziness:
https://balanceanddizziness.org/disorders/other-causes/#mental. Follow the Anxiety Canada link and use their resources such as the Mindshift app for help.
Please visit this section of our website: https://balanceanddizziness.org/disorders/other-causes/#effects. It is a rather long list and likely not exhaustive. We recommend talking to your doctor or pharmacist if you think a medication (or combination of medications) may be causing dizziness or imbalance. Sometimes an alternate medication can be prescribed.
Doctors in Canada may prescribe Gravol, ondansetron or betahistine (Serc) to alleviate dizziness symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
If you feel more anxious when on these surfaces, here are some suggestions you could explore.
You may try to first just stand on the edge of that surface. While standing there, just notice your body. “Scan” it with your attention, all the way from the soles of your feet to your head. Notice any areas of tension and soften them if you can. Notice whether your heart is beating fast, your breathing is shallow or you are sweating. If that is happening, take some deep breaths, with a longer out-breath, like a sigh of relief. Intentionally relax and slow down. Take as much time as you need to feel calm, relaxed and safe just standing there.
Then you may also want to work on some sort of habituation to these surfaces. I’d try starting with some walking poles and see if you feel more stable and less like falling when on these types of surfaces. You’d want to try perhaps just a few steps at a time, for just as long as you feel safe. You would want to repeat this several times a week for some practice and exposure. If the process works, you should start to feel that you don’t tense up as much and feel more relaxed. Then you could try using only one pole and repeat until you feel stable. You could then try using no poles and see how you are.
These are the poles we normally recommend, but you may be able to find a cheaper alternative:
We have been asked whether COVID-19 vaccines can cause dizziness and whether the vaccines can worsen pre-existing vestibular conditions. COVID-19 is a recently discovered disease – there are still not enough data to answer these questions. Anecdotally, we have heard of some people experiencing new or increased dizziness after being vaccinated.
Fortunately most reported side effects of the vaccines have been short-term, lasting up to several days. Read the weekly report on COVID-19 vaccine safety (Government of Canada) for more details. A search in May, 2021 on the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) website returned dizziness being a reported side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine in 12% of people.
Short-term dizziness after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is usually related to an anxiety-related response rather than a reaction to the vaccine itself according to an article in Medical News Today. Some people who have had anxiety-related reactions after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine have reported similar reactions after vaccinations to prevent other diseases.
Dizziness after a COVID-19 vaccination can sometimes be a symptom of an allergic reaction, but this is most common in the first 15 to 30 minutes after vaccination, according to the CDC.
Balance & Dizziness Canada is not a medical clinic and thus does not track or report adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine. Should you experience significant new or worsening dizziness following COVID-19 immunization in Canada, please ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to complete the Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) form. If you have any questions or have difficulties contacting your local health unit, contact Vaccine Safety Section at Public Health Agency of Canada (Tel: 1-866-844-0018; Fax 1-866-844-5931).
Although the effects of a COVID-19 infection are mild for most people, for many they are severe and long-lasting or even deadly. However, when the number of adverse reactions to the vaccines is compared with the number of “long-haulers” or those who have died from COVID-19, it is still safe to consider that the likely protection offered by the available vaccines appears to greatly outweigh any risks of being vaccinated.
– Balance & Dizziness Canada
Medications
Please visit this section of our website: https://balanceanddizziness.org/disorders/other-causes/#effects. It is a rather long list and likely not exhaustive. We recommend talking to your doctor or pharmacist if you think a medication (or combination of medications) may be causing dizziness or imbalance. Sometimes an alternate medication can be prescribed.
Doctors in Canada may prescribe Gravol, ondansetron or betahistine (Serc) to alleviate dizziness symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
We have been asked whether COVID-19 vaccines can cause dizziness and whether the vaccines can worsen pre-existing vestibular conditions. COVID-19 is a recently discovered disease – there are still not enough data to answer these questions. Anecdotally, we have heard of some people experiencing new or increased dizziness after being vaccinated.
Fortunately most reported side effects of the vaccines have been short-term, lasting up to several days. Read the weekly report on COVID-19 vaccine safety (Government of Canada) for more details. A search in May, 2021 on the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) website returned dizziness being a reported side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine in 12% of people.
Short-term dizziness after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is usually related to an anxiety-related response rather than a reaction to the vaccine itself according to an article in Medical News Today. Some people who have had anxiety-related reactions after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine have reported similar reactions after vaccinations to prevent other diseases.
Dizziness after a COVID-19 vaccination can sometimes be a symptom of an allergic reaction, but this is most common in the first 15 to 30 minutes after vaccination, according to the CDC.
Balance & Dizziness Canada is not a medical clinic and thus does not track or report adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine. Should you experience significant new or worsening dizziness following COVID-19 immunization in Canada, please ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to complete the Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) form. If you have any questions or have difficulties contacting your local health unit, contact Vaccine Safety Section at Public Health Agency of Canada (Tel: 1-866-844-0018; Fax 1-866-844-5931).
Although the effects of a COVID-19 infection are mild for most people, for many they are severe and long-lasting or even deadly. However, when the number of adverse reactions to the vaccines is compared with the number of “long-haulers” or those who have died from COVID-19, it is still safe to consider that the likely protection offered by the available vaccines appears to greatly outweigh any risks of being vaccinated.
– Balance & Dizziness Canada
Motion Sensitivity
If you feel more anxious when on these surfaces, here are some suggestions you could explore.
You may try to first just stand on the edge of that surface. While standing there, just notice your body. “Scan” it with your attention, all the way from the soles of your feet to your head. Notice any areas of tension and soften them if you can. Notice whether your heart is beating fast, your breathing is shallow or you are sweating. If that is happening, take some deep breaths, with a longer out-breath, like a sigh of relief. Intentionally relax and slow down. Take as much time as you need to feel calm, relaxed and safe just standing there.
Then you may also want to work on some sort of habituation to these surfaces. I’d try starting with some walking poles and see if you feel more stable and less like falling when on these types of surfaces. You’d want to try perhaps just a few steps at a time, for just as long as you feel safe. You would want to repeat this several times a week for some practice and exposure. If the process works, you should start to feel that you don’t tense up as much and feel more relaxed. Then you could try using only one pole and repeat until you feel stable. You could then try using no poles and see how you are.
These are the poles we normally recommend, but you may be able to find a cheaper alternative:
Self Help
Our page “Other Causes” lists Anxiety and Panic Attacks as possible causes for dizziness:
https://balanceanddizziness.org/disorders/other-causes/#mental. Follow the Anxiety Canada link and use their resources such as the Mindshift app for help.
Vaccines
We have been asked whether COVID-19 vaccines can cause dizziness and whether the vaccines can worsen pre-existing vestibular conditions. COVID-19 is a recently discovered disease – there are still not enough data to answer these questions. Anecdotally, we have heard of some people experiencing new or increased dizziness after being vaccinated.
Fortunately most reported side effects of the vaccines have been short-term, lasting up to several days. Read the weekly report on COVID-19 vaccine safety (Government of Canada) for more details. A search in May, 2021 on the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) website returned dizziness being a reported side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine in 12% of people.
Short-term dizziness after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is usually related to an anxiety-related response rather than a reaction to the vaccine itself according to an article in Medical News Today. Some people who have had anxiety-related reactions after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine have reported similar reactions after vaccinations to prevent other diseases.
Dizziness after a COVID-19 vaccination can sometimes be a symptom of an allergic reaction, but this is most common in the first 15 to 30 minutes after vaccination, according to the CDC.
Balance & Dizziness Canada is not a medical clinic and thus does not track or report adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine. Should you experience significant new or worsening dizziness following COVID-19 immunization in Canada, please ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to complete the Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) form. If you have any questions or have difficulties contacting your local health unit, contact Vaccine Safety Section at Public Health Agency of Canada (Tel: 1-866-844-0018; Fax 1-866-844-5931).
Although the effects of a COVID-19 infection are mild for most people, for many they are severe and long-lasting or even deadly. However, when the number of adverse reactions to the vaccines is compared with the number of “long-haulers” or those who have died from COVID-19, it is still safe to consider that the likely protection offered by the available vaccines appears to greatly outweigh any risks of being vaccinated.
– Balance & Dizziness Canada
Vestibular Rehabilitation
If you feel more anxious when on these surfaces, here are some suggestions you could explore.
You may try to first just stand on the edge of that surface. While standing there, just notice your body. “Scan” it with your attention, all the way from the soles of your feet to your head. Notice any areas of tension and soften them if you can. Notice whether your heart is beating fast, your breathing is shallow or you are sweating. If that is happening, take some deep breaths, with a longer out-breath, like a sigh of relief. Intentionally relax and slow down. Take as much time as you need to feel calm, relaxed and safe just standing there.
Then you may also want to work on some sort of habituation to these surfaces. I’d try starting with some walking poles and see if you feel more stable and less like falling when on these types of surfaces. You’d want to try perhaps just a few steps at a time, for just as long as you feel safe. You would want to repeat this several times a week for some practice and exposure. If the process works, you should start to feel that you don’t tense up as much and feel more relaxed. Then you could try using only one pole and repeat until you feel stable. You could then try using no poles and see how you are.
These are the poles we normally recommend, but you may be able to find a cheaper alternative:
