Synonyms in a broader sense
Medical: Vertigo forms: Positional vertigo, spinning vertigo, vertigo
Introduction
Dizziness (Vertigo) while lying down can, like dizziness in general, be caused by many different diseases. In addition to an organic change in which the dizziness can be explained, often mental illness, strain and stress also play an important role in the development of dizziness.
Causes
There are various causes for the occurrence of dizziness in general and for dizziness when lying down and for dizziness when lying down in particular. On the one hand, these can affect the inner ear and cause dizziness there, such as the so-called benign positioning vertigo or inflammatory processes. Dizziness is usually triggered by movements of the head, so in a quiet position the dizziness usually improves.
Meniere’s disease, which is probably caused by an imbalance of the lymph in the inner ear, can also lead to dizzy spells. However, this also occurs more often in the form of short-term attacks. The cause can also lie in the brain itself, for example in the form of a processing disorder.
Here, dizziness can also be a symptom of serious illnesses such as a stroke, meningitis, multiple sclerosis or a tumor. Circulatory problems can also cause dizziness, but in this case the symptoms should usually improve while lying down. If the dizziness persists for a long time, even when lying down, an inflammation of the vestibular nerve may be the cause.
This then sends false signals to the brain almost permanently, which is why the dizziness is independent of whether you are lying straight or sitting. A number of mental illnesses can also be accompanied by dizziness, such as depression or anxiety disorders. In these cases, dizziness often occurs at the beginning of an episode.
Here too, however, the dizziness is not typically present while lying down. Last but not least, a severe inflammation of the middle ear can also cause dizziness. In addition, dizziness can be a concomitant symptom of a whole range of other diseases, such as migraine, tinnitus or Parkinson’s disease.
If the dizziness occurs or becomes worse every time you turn around in bed or move around in some other way, it is usually benign positioning vertigo. As described above, the crystals generally have the possibility to come to rest when lying down, which is why the dizziness usually does not occur or disappears after some time. But if you move your head or turn from one side to the other, the otolith crystals change their position again, which causes dizziness.
Only after some time of positioning training does the brain manage to correctly assign these signals, so that the dizziness no longer occurs even if you move. People who suffer from dizziness often try to sit or lie down as one of the first measures. This is a good measure simply because the risk of falling is minimized.
If the legs are also raised, the circulation can also be supported – so if the dizziness is caused by this, the condition of the affected person should improve. If this is not the case, the cause is most likely elsewhere. Diseases of the inner ear, such as inflammation of the vestibular system (labyrinthitis) or the nerve supplying it (neuritis vestibularis) should be clarified (especially if dizziness persists for several hours or days).
If dizziness occurs after changing position, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo should be considered. Meniere’s disease (Morbus Menière) can manifest itself without a change of position, but just as suddenly. If the dizziness occurs frequently or particularly severely and causes a high degree of suffering, a medical examination should always be performed.
This topic may also be of interest to you:
- Symptoms of Menière’s disease
- Therapy of Menière’s disease
During pregnancy it is generally very easy to develop problems with dizziness and general circulation problems. These are related to the altered circulation and hormone situation of the body. However, if the dizziness always occurs only when lying down, there may also be a very specific problem behind it.
It is possible that the abdomen causes the blood flow back to the heart to be partially squeezed when lying down.As a result, the heart can pump less blood to the organs and even to the brain, which can cause dizziness. The whole thing is then called “Vena Cava Compression Syndrome”. Since this blood vessel, also known as the vena cava, runs along the right side of the body, it is usually only squeezed if you lie on your right side or on your back.
In left-side position the dizziness should therefore disappear. In addition to dizziness, other symptoms can also occur, so in late pregnancy you should avoid lying on your back for long periods. If the symptoms of dizziness improve while lying down, the cause is often in the circulatory system.
To be more precise, the cause is usually low blood pressure in the brain. If the heart is unable to supply the brain with sufficient blood due to various possible causes, the brain can react with dizziness. This lack of blood is almost automatically remedied while lying down.
The blood from the legs flows back to the heart and is available for the brain. By the way, this is also the reason why people faint. By falling over, the brain supplies itself again with sufficient blood.
If the dizziness symptoms disappear completely when lying down, there is a lot to be said for the presence of benign positional vertigo. In this case, the problem is that the crystals, which are otherwise necessary for balance, no longer remain in their actual place, but float freely in the organ of equilibrium, thus leading to false impressions. Therefore, it is possible that the crystals take up a position in which the equilibrium is less or not at all irritated and the dizziness disappears.
Sometimes this happens only after lying still for some time, so that the crystals came to rest on a position where they were lying. Then the brain has the possibility to get used to this state and the dizziness stops. If dizziness occurs only when sitting and especially when sitting for long periods of time during work at a desk, the cause is usually not directly in the brain or inner ear.
On the one hand, low blood pressure can also be the cause. Long periods of inactivity while sitting can cause more blood to accumulate in the legs and then no longer be available to the brain. This is favored by the fact that the lack of activity of the muscles in the legs causes the blood vessels there to reduce their basic tension.
A further cause of dizziness while sitting can be severe tension in the back and especially in the neck area. The hardening of the muscles in this area can also affect the blood supply to the brain. Thus, parts of the important blood supply of the brain in the area of the cervical spine run upwards.
If this area is extremely tense, this can lead to reduced blood flow and thus to dizziness. For some forms of dizziness it does not matter whether the eyes are open or closed. For example, both rotational vertigo and positional vertigo can persist even with the eyes closed.
The sense of sight can help the organ of equilibrium by supporting the brain in perceiving the environment – or it can irritate it because the eyes and the organ of equilibrium send different, incompatible sensory impressions to the brain. If the dizziness persists when the eyes are closed, the central nervous system is more likely to be affected. However, even in the case of severe dizziness, this does not necessarily have to have a serious cause, but simply means that the brain is disturbed in its natural functioning.
The reasons for this can be medication or toxic substances (including alcohol), or dehydration that affects the bloodstream. A migraine can also cause dizziness when the eyes are closed. If no obvious cause for the newly occurring dizziness with closed eyes can be found, the family doctor or an ENT specialist should be consulted. The same applies if accompanying symptoms such as loss or clouding of consciousness, severe headaches or neck pain, paralysis, speech or vision problems occur. A doctor should also be consulted promptly if dizziness occurs after a fall or other injury, which persists when the eyes are closed.
