Introduction
Dizziness is a common symptom and often occurs in combination with vision problems. Various illnesses can be the cause of this. The eyes and our orientation in space are strongly connected. If one of the systems no longer functions properly, the symptoms dizziness and visual disturbance quickly appear.
Causes of dizziness and visual disorders
Dizziness often occurs as a sole symptom and results from a variety of different causes. Sometimes dizziness also occurs in combination with vision problems. Often the combination of both symptoms allows to narrow down the cause.
While dizziness alone often has high blood pressure (hypertension) or too low blood pressure (hypotension) as its cause, or disorders in the vestibular organ of the inner ear, the combination of the symptoms dizziness and visual disorders allows specific conclusions to be drawn regarding the cause. Too high blood pressure or too low blood pressure can lead to the symptom complex of dizziness and visual disturbances. In the case of high blood pressure, the increased pressures cause irritation in the area of the optic nerve and retina as well as in the area of the organ of equilibrium.
Reduced blood pressure results in reduced blood supply to the retina, optic nerve and organ of balance, which can also lead to dizziness and visual disturbances. Another possible cause is hypoglycaemia. In hypoglycaemia, the corresponding organs are supplied with sufficient blood, but the blood is not saturated with sufficient sugar and therefore does not supply enough energy.
Strong muscular tension in the neck and shoulder area can also cause visual disorders in the course of a cervical spine syndrome. Do you have more interest in this topic? If dizziness and visual disturbances occur in the context of neck tension, this is summarized under the term cervical spine syndrome.
The muscular tension in the area of the cervical spine can affect vessels and nerves running along the neck and thus lead to the symptoms described above. Both dizziness and visual disturbances can manifest themselves as part of a cervical spine syndrome. Furthermore, the affected persons can suffer from pain in the cervical spine area and headaches.
Likewise, there may be sensations in the arms or hands. Occasionally, those affected also report tinnitus, i.e. a perception of noise in the ear. The cervical spine syndrome can be caused by muscular tension or joint degeneration of the bony cervical spine.
Stress can have a particular effect on blood pressure – which then appears to be elevated. High blood pressure or, in medical terminology, hypertension, can lead to dizziness and impaired vision. A stress reduction, if necessary with a medical blood pressure adjustment, can help to alleviate the symptoms.
An overactive thyroid gland can lead to increased blood pressure, which can then present itself together with dizziness and visual disturbances. When investigating the cause of high blood pressure, the thyroid gland values are therefore usually also determined. If an overactive thyroid gland is the cause of high blood pressure, certain drugs can be used to regulate the thyroid hormones.
Underactive thyroid glands can also be involved in the regulation of blood pressure. If there are too few thyroid hormones, the deficiency can manifest itself in low blood pressure. Those affected are then also given special thyroid medication which stimulates the thyroid to produce hormones and thus increase blood pressure.
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