Diagnosis

The diagnosis of vertigo while driving a car depends on the cause.There are various tests for the organ of equilibrium that can test for dizziness, for example, when changing position. In addition, cold and warm air in the ear can provoke a dizzy spell. In this way, the cause of the dizziness can be clarified.

A complete examination also includes the clarification of cardiac (heart/circulatory) causes, therefore a blood pressure measurement, an ECG and, if necessary, an ultrasound of the heart is recommended. Hormonal causes can be clarified with a blood sample in the laboratory. If the cause is suspected to be an increase in intracranial pressure, it may be necessary to perform an imaging of the skull (for example, a CT or MRI).

Associated symptoms

Dizziness while driving a car is often accompanied by a general feeling of discomfort. Especially when your blood pressure is low, i.e. when your circulation “sags”, you may feel black before your eyes or you may notice a flickering. Dizziness can also be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and headaches. If the cause of dizziness is in the vestibular organ, hearing may also be affected. For example, a sudden dizziness can be accompanied by a sudden loss of hearing.

Fear of dizziness when driving a car

If you have never had a dizzy spell before, in most cases you do not need to be afraid of dizziness when driving a car. On the other hand, the risk of dizziness is increased in many diseases. However, dizziness often announces itself through so-called prodromi (signs), so that affected drivers have enough time to park the car in time.

However, anyone who suffers more frequently from sudden and severe dizziness attacks runs the risk of getting such a dizzy spell while driving. In consultation with the physicians, affected persons should in this case possibly refrain from driving a car. By the way, dizziness while driving a car affects the passenger much more often. The passenger does not have to concentrate on the road and therefore often looks at the surroundings, reads a book or looks at his or her cell phone. As a result, the information provided by the eyes and the organs of equilibrium differs more than in the driver and dizziness occurs more quickly.