There are different forms of swindling. Phobic swindling is one of the most common forms of vertigo and is typically triggered by situations that are usually accompanied by psychological stress. In some cases, however, the cause is also based on a physical illness.
Schwank vertigo usually occurs with panic-like fear of falling and can cause insecurities in standing and walking. The duration can vary from a few minutes to several hours. In the context of psychogenic swaying vertigo, an anxiety disorder or depression is sometimes observed as a basic complaint. In women, the disease occurs preferably between the age of 30 and 40, in men about ten years later.
Definition
Dizziness in general is understood to be insufficient orientation in space, which is accompanied by a feeling of insecurity. In the case of swaying vertigo, those affected describe feeling “like on a swaying ship”. It is usually a form of psychogenic vertigo, which can be triggered by psychologically stressful situations and is accompanied by suddenly occurring fear of falling. However, the cause can also be organically related.
Causes
It is assumed that short-term, normal disturbances of the balance lead to overinterpretation and result in a strong reaction. In a healthy person, the correction of the temporary disturbance of balance is done with a reflex-like, small movement. A person with swaying vertigo reacts much more strongly and makes an excessive change in posture.
This results in dizziness and perceived insecurity when standing and walking. The system of disease development is therefore based on the attempt to consciously influence the balance. The affected persons can get into a spiral-shaped cycle, because the self-induced dizziness is interpreted as being caused from outside.
Typical triggers include not only interpersonal conflicts, but also situations that are disturbing for the person affected, such as large crowds of people, elevator rides, traveling in an airplane or general situations that are perceived as stress. In connection with a cervical spine syndrome, swaying dizziness and insecurity when standing and walking can be observed. The complaints become stronger with movement and a constant same head position.
Those affected often complain of neck pain. Disturbances in seeing and hearing as well as sensory disturbances are observed less frequently. After prolonged immobilization (not moving) of the cervical spine, for example after getting up in the morning, there may be blockages between the individual bones of the cervical spine (see: Vertigo in the morning).
The same applies to degenerative processes of the cervical vertebral bodies and accidents that lead to damage in this area. The sudden release of the individual blockages can be accompanied by the sudden onset of dizziness. If, on the other hand, the blockages persist, the muscles in the cervical area will tense up as the process progresses.
Over time, the muscles on the opposite side shorten in synchrony with this. This leads to sensitive effects on the sense of balance and an increase in the dizziness symptoms. In rare cases, changes in the cervical spine trigger a compression (constriction) of the artery running through it.
When the head is turned, this can result in a reduced oxygen supply to the brain and cause the dizziness symptoms. Dizziness does not necessarily have to be organic. Tension can also trigger it – especially the neck, upper back and eye muscles can lead to dizziness if they are permanently contracted.
Neck and back muscles are responsible for the upright posture of head and trunk. If the posture is not optimally adjusted due to tense muscles, this can lead to difficult orientation in space, which in turn can cause dizziness. The eye muscles can also play a role.
If eye movements cannot be carried out as usual due to tension in the outer eye muscles, blurred vision and dizziness may result. A physiological contracture of all muscles in the face, neck and back area is therefore essential to counteract dizziness. Diseases of the eyes are possible causes of dizziness symptoms.
This form is called ocular vertigo.Even if other symptoms have been present for a long time, a visual disturbance as a symptom of the actual cause is only perceived very late. Non-specific symptoms such as dizziness, headaches and backaches manifest themselves even before that. Causes include inflammation of the eye such as iritis (inflammation of the iris), infections or flu, reduced vision, visual disturbances in cases of paralysis of the eye muscles with strabismus and existing high blood pressure with significant vascular changes.
The organ of balance is located in the inner ear. If there is a disease in this area, this usually leads to rotational vertigo. One form is, for example, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, in which small fragments are located in the inner ear and cause dizziness when moving.
Another clinical picture is Menière’s disease. Here, there is too much fluid in the inner ear, which can trigger episodes of rotational vertigo lasting from a few minutes to hours. An inflammation of nerves that run from the organ of balance to the brain can also cause dizziness.
This clinical picture is called neuritis vestibularis. Here it goes to dizziness triggered by the ear coffee can cause dizziness through the effect of its ingredient caffeine. Caffeine has a stimulating effect and can lead to a stimulation of the central nervous system.
This can, for example, increase the heart rate, which in the worst case can lead to cardiac arrhythmia. This in turn can cause dizziness. In addition, caffeine can cause blood vessels to dilate, which can cause blood to sink under gravity, which can also cause dizziness.
As mentioned above, phobic swindling is one of the most common forms of dizziness. This is a psychosomatic cause. The affected person feels a phobic anxiety, which has an effect on the physical condition.
This can manifest itself in a wide variety of symptoms, including dizziness and lightheadedness. Often the occurrence of vertigo is accompanied by palpitations and blurred vision. Psychiatric treatment of the underlying disease, for example a phobia, can be useful in this case.
Schwankschwindel after or during a flight can have various causes. Firstly, many people suffer from fear of flying, which can result in psychosomatic dizziness, as described above. On the other hand, physical processes can also cause the swaying vertigo.
The body has to adapt to the changing pressure conditions and it can be that during a long distance flight, due to the long sitting, blood accumulates in the legs. If the body does not manage to regulate the circulation due to these external conditions, a feeling of dizziness may occur. This can continue until after the flight.
Any kind of driving can lead to dizziness. For example, it can happen that while the vehicle you are in is stationary, a moving vehicle focuses. This is then sent to the brain as information that you are driving.
This discrepancy can cause a brief feeling of dizziness. The same mechanism takes place when you read while driving, for example. The focused object, for example a book, is perceived as immobile, which does not match the information that you are in motion. This can result in nausea and dizziness.
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