Symptoms
Mostly psychogenic vertigo is the so-called “Schwankschwindel”. Affected persons experience an attack-like staggering and possibly blackening of the eyes with a corresponding tendency to fall. They have the feeling that their surroundings are moving back and forth although they are standing still.
Strong feelings of fear can also overlay the dizziness. In women, this type of dizziness usually occurs in the third decade of life, whereas in men it is more common in the fourth decade. If additional symptoms occur that are reminiscent of a panic attack – such as racing heart, sweating, trembling or shortness of breath – an anxiety disorder could also be present.Complaints such as prolonged dizziness, sleep disturbances, headaches or dizziness can be signs of a depressive illness.
Those affected often also complain of a feeling of dizziness. This form of dizziness makes them feel like they are “drunk”, i.e. groggy, unsteady on their feet and empty in their head. This can be caused by a number of other diseases, such as nervous disorders or fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
Drugs can also trigger such complaints as side effects. Dizziness in the context of psychogenic dizziness can be a sign of depression and should be further clarified. Headaches or tiredness as an additional symptom to dizziness should be clarified by a doctor.
Both can be an indication of an accompanying depressive illness in the context of psychogenic dizziness. This is particularly common in connection with phobic dizziness. Another cause of headaches can also be tension in the muscles of the neck, eye area or forehead.
These can also occur in the context of stressful life situations and cause long-term consequences such as dizziness or headaches. If the tensions persist for a longer period of time, this can even cause relieving and incorrect posture and thus possibly also cause chronic back problems. Targeted relaxation training and relief in everyday life should therefore be sought as early as possible.
A permanently high blood pressure, various heart diseases or even anaemia can also lead to dizziness under certain circumstances. In most cases this is swaying and dizziness. This should be further clarified by an internist.
In the presence of a psychogenic vertigo or even phobic vertigo, it is possible that in the respective situation the blood pressure rises in the context of the anxiety reaction and possibly even a palpitations of the heart is felt by the affected person. Sweating or trembling are also possible. This can be explained by the anxiety with which such situations, which are perceived as stressful, are occupied by those affected.
However, once the dizziness has subsided and the situation has been defused, the blood pressure should return to its initial value. If it does not, it is advisable to have this clarified further. Tachycardia is a typical reaction to stress, which can still be traced back to the natural reflexes from the Stone Age.
At that time, a stress situation, for example when you meet a wild animal, was often life-threatening. Therefore stress led to an immediate activation of the so-called sympathetic nervous system. This enabled the Stone Age man to a quick escape reaction or even to fight.
We humans today still possess these reflexes, so that we also react to stressful situations in everyday life by activating the sympathetic nervous system. But this reaction is no longer appropriate in today’s world. In case of permanent stress, for example at work or in private surroundings, a permanent increase of the heart rate and thus a racing heart can occur.
In the long run, this leads to a deterioration in the function of the heart, so that the brain, for example, is poorly supplied with blood and oxygen. Fluctuations in blood pressure can also be triggered by irregular heart activity. This can result in stress-related dizzy spells.
- Therefore the heart rate increased, at the same time
- The breaths deeper and faster,
- The blood pressure was raised and
- Increased attention.
Visual disturbances caused by stress are often due to fluctuating blood pressure or changing heart rates. These are the result of a stress reaction that still originates from our ancestors and led to an activation of the sympathetic nervous system. As a result, the heart rate is increased and the blood pressure also rises.
In case of permanent stress, this can lead to permanent blood pressure increases. These damage, among other things, the vessels of the retina in the eye and thus cause visual disorders. Circulatory disorders in the brain, for example due to a heart stumbling caused by the permanently high heart rate, can also cause temporary standing disorders.
A tinnitus is a noise in the ear that cannot be assigned to any external sound source. The sound does not originate from the environment of the affected person, rather it is produced as a kind of phantom noise by the brain or ear itself.As a reaction to stress, this is often caused by circulatory disorders, for example, high blood pressure. This can damage the cells in the ear and thus cause the ear to transmit faulty signals to the brain.
