FAQ
Browse a selection of our most frequently asked questions and answers about balance and dizziness disorders. Submit your own question here.
Balance
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
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
Medications
Many types of medications list dizziness as a potential side effect. These episodes of dizziness are often better described as drowsiness and/or light-headedness. In a few instances, however, it can also refer to true vertigo (spinning sensation).
Anti-nausea medications usually act on the central nervous system through a process of slight sedation. These medications inhibit signal transmission pathways from the body to the brain. Prolonged use of anti-nausea medications is not recommended for people who have had an inner ear problem and/or loss of balance function because these medications can slow down the recovery process driven by the brain. The new signals going from the inner ear will not be properly received by the brain, which will in turn take longer to adjust to the new vestibular function. It is, however, very unlikely that anti-nausea medications can cause inner-ear related dizziness.
If vestibular rehabilitation can help you with a balance problem related to medication, it will depend on how the medication has affected your vestibular system, and if you have the ability to activate that part of the vestibular system. For example, there are certain antibiotics, such as gentamicin, that are highly toxic to the vestibular system. People who have taken these antibiotics may have difficulty training their vestibular system because the input from their inner ears may have been affected. If you have imbalance related to less toxic medication, balance training can often help to improve your functioning. If, however, medication has affected your vestibular system, the visual system and peripheral system (dysfunction of the balance organs of the inner ear), the treatment effect might be limited.
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
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 vestibular rehabilitation can help you with a balance problem related to medication, it will depend on how the medication has affected your vestibular system, and if you have the ability to activate that part of the vestibular system. For example, there are certain antibiotics, such as gentamicin, that are highly toxic to the vestibular system. People who have taken these antibiotics may have difficulty training their vestibular system because the input from their inner ears may have been affected. If you have imbalance related to less toxic medication, balance training can often help to improve your functioning. If, however, medication has affected your vestibular system, the visual system and peripheral system (dysfunction of the balance organs of the inner ear), the treatment effect might be limited.
Vestibular Toxicity
If vestibular rehabilitation can help you with a balance problem related to medication, it will depend on how the medication has affected your vestibular system, and if you have the ability to activate that part of the vestibular system. For example, there are certain antibiotics, such as gentamicin, that are highly toxic to the vestibular system. People who have taken these antibiotics may have difficulty training their vestibular system because the input from their inner ears may have been affected. If you have imbalance related to less toxic medication, balance training can often help to improve your functioning. If, however, medication has affected your vestibular system, the visual system and peripheral system (dysfunction of the balance organs of the inner ear), the treatment effect might be limited.