Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Nov 24, 2024 3:25:06 GMT
Is Dizziness (and Vertigo) a Sign of COVID? - Published Oct 31, 2024
By Maressa Brown
COVID-19 symptoms are numerous and wide-ranging, varying between people in severity and type. For example, dizziness is sometimes a sign of COVID. Research has found that some people with COVID might also have lightheadedness and vertigo.
Health conditions that result in dizziness may occur with COVID. For example, some evidence suggests that some people with COVID have developed postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) after infection. POTS causes a drop in blood flow to your heart when you stand up.
Although it’s less common than respiratory symptoms, you might have dizziness and vertigo with COVID. Read on to learn about COVID dizziness, why it might happen, and when to see a healthcare provider.
Vertigo vs. Dizziness
Dizziness is the feeling of being faint, unsteady, or woozy. Vertigo happens if dizziness makes you feel that your surroundings are spinning. Both dizziness and vertigo are balance problems.
There are two types of vertigo: central and peripheral. Central vertigo occurs if there's a problem in your brain's cerebellum, which controls balance, posture, speech, and walking. Peripheral vertigo results from an inner ear problem. Your inner ear helps control balance.
Can COVID Cause Dizziness or Vertigo?
COVID usually affects your respiratory system, causing coughing, sneezing, and a sore throat. Research has found that neurological symptoms, such as dizziness and vertigo, might also be signs of COVID.
Some evidence suggests a link between COVID and neurological conditions. For example, viral infections, such as COVID, commonly cause vestibular neuritis, or inflammation of a nerve in your inner ear.
"This can lead to loss of smell, taste, and a complaint of dizziness or vertigo if the eighth cranial nerve, or the direct vestibular nerve, is involved," Shae Datta, MD, a neurologist at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, told Health.
It's unclear exactly how COVID causes dizziness and vertigo. A study published in 2023 noted that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, might be able to pass the blood-brain barrier to affect your central nervous system. The blood-brain barrier helps control the movement of cells and molecules between your blood and brain.8 Some evidence suggests that dizziness and vertigo with COVID might result from mental stress.
How Many People Experience It
Research has found that about 30% of people with COVID develop neurological symptoms, including dizziness and vertigo. In a study published in 2022 of 1,512 people with COVID, researchers found that 16% had dizziness and 12% had vertigo.
Risk Factors
Dizziness and vertigo might affect anyone with COVID, regardless of the severity of their symptoms. Still, research has found that some people might be likelier to develop neurological symptoms than others.
Risk factors for dizziness and vertigo with COVID include:
Female sex
A lack of physical activity (i.e., during self-isolation)
Mental stress
Older age
When Does It Happen?
Research has found that dizziness and vertigo might occur with COVID or after infection.
Daker LI, Elshafei RR, Bahi M, et al. Could vertigo be a post-COVID-19 sequela or presenting symptom? Egypt J Neurol Psychiatr Neurosurg. 2023;59(1):65. doi:10.1186/s41983-023-00659-x
Post-COVID conditions, or long COVID, are symptoms that persist for weeks to years after infection.10 The 2023 study noted that inflammation in the brain might cause brain- and nerve-related long COVID symptoms.7 Those symptoms may last between 10 days to 10 weeks.
Other neurological symptoms of COVID and long COVID may include:
Anxiety and depression
Brain fog, or difficulty concentrating and thinking
Confusion
Dementia
Headache
Mood changes (e.g., feeling angry or sad)
Nerve damage (e.g., numbness and tingling)
A new loss of taste or smell
Seizures
POTS is another health condition that research has linked to COVID. POTS causes a sudden drop in blood flow to the heart after you stand up, which might cause dizziness. A study published in 2022 of 12,000 adults with COVID found that 260 developed POTS after infection.
Other Causes of Dizziness and Vertigo
There are several causes of dizziness and vertigo. Most commonly, a sudden drop in blood pressure, dehydration, and standing up too quickly cause dizziness and vertigo.
Like COVID, allergies, colds, and the flu may make you feel dizzy and lightheaded. Labyrinthitis is an inner ear problem that results from a viral infection and causes vertigo.
Other causes of dizziness and vertigo might include:
Bleeding in the brain
Brain tumor
Certain medications (e.g., drugs that lower your blood pressure)
Heart problems (e.g., abnormal heartbeat and heart attack)
Low blood sugar
Motion sickness
Multiple sclerosis (MS), or a health condition that affects your brain and spinal cord12
Seizures
Shock, or extremely low blood pressure
Stroke
Treatment Options
You can generally treat dizziness and vertigo at home. Avoid changing positions or standing up too quickly. Try holding on to something while standing up.
Try the following to prevent worsening vertigo symptoms:
Avoid looking at bright lights, reading, or watching TV if you have symptoms.
Sit still and rest while your symptoms pass.
Slowly build up physical activity.
Use a cane to help you walk if you often lose your balance.
There are no official guidelines for treating dizziness and vertigo that results from COVID. Research has found that healthcare providers have used corticosteroids to treat vestibular neuritis with COVID. Antihistamines and physical therapy may help.9 Physical therapy helps improve your balance and strengthen your muscles.
Drinking plenty of fluids, eating salt tablets, and wearing compression stockings may help ease POTS symptoms. A healthcare provider might prescribe medications to treat POTS.
Avoid climbing, driving, and operating heavy machinery for at least one week after your dizziness and vertigo subsides. Your injury risk increases if a dizzy spell occurs during those activities.11
When To Contact a Healthcare Provider
Dizziness typically subsides on its own or with supportive treatment. You usually do not need to contact a healthcare provider if you get dizzy occasionally with apparent causes, like motion sickness or standing up too quickly.
Consult a healthcare provider if you:
Become dizzy often
Feel dizzy after taking medication
Have hearing loss
Have worsening symptoms
When To Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Seek immediate medical attention if you have:
Changes in your speech or vision
Chest pain
Difficulty breathing
Fainting
A fever higher than 101 degrees with a headache and stiff neck
A head injury
An inability to move your arms or legs
An irregular heartbeat
Seizures
Trouble keeping fluids down
Weakness
A Quick Review
Dizziness and vertigo might be signs of COVID. It's not uncommon for viral infections to make you feel dizzy and lightheaded. Some people with COVID have developed inner ear problems and POTS, which causes dizziness.
Consult a healthcare provider if your dizziness or vertigo is new or worsening during or after COVID infection. They might prescribe medications or recommend physical therapy to help with your balance and strength.
By Maressa Brown
COVID-19 symptoms are numerous and wide-ranging, varying between people in severity and type. For example, dizziness is sometimes a sign of COVID. Research has found that some people with COVID might also have lightheadedness and vertigo.
Health conditions that result in dizziness may occur with COVID. For example, some evidence suggests that some people with COVID have developed postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) after infection. POTS causes a drop in blood flow to your heart when you stand up.
Although it’s less common than respiratory symptoms, you might have dizziness and vertigo with COVID. Read on to learn about COVID dizziness, why it might happen, and when to see a healthcare provider.
Vertigo vs. Dizziness
Dizziness is the feeling of being faint, unsteady, or woozy. Vertigo happens if dizziness makes you feel that your surroundings are spinning. Both dizziness and vertigo are balance problems.
There are two types of vertigo: central and peripheral. Central vertigo occurs if there's a problem in your brain's cerebellum, which controls balance, posture, speech, and walking. Peripheral vertigo results from an inner ear problem. Your inner ear helps control balance.
Can COVID Cause Dizziness or Vertigo?
COVID usually affects your respiratory system, causing coughing, sneezing, and a sore throat. Research has found that neurological symptoms, such as dizziness and vertigo, might also be signs of COVID.
Some evidence suggests a link between COVID and neurological conditions. For example, viral infections, such as COVID, commonly cause vestibular neuritis, or inflammation of a nerve in your inner ear.
"This can lead to loss of smell, taste, and a complaint of dizziness or vertigo if the eighth cranial nerve, or the direct vestibular nerve, is involved," Shae Datta, MD, a neurologist at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, told Health.
It's unclear exactly how COVID causes dizziness and vertigo. A study published in 2023 noted that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, might be able to pass the blood-brain barrier to affect your central nervous system. The blood-brain barrier helps control the movement of cells and molecules between your blood and brain.8 Some evidence suggests that dizziness and vertigo with COVID might result from mental stress.
How Many People Experience It
Research has found that about 30% of people with COVID develop neurological symptoms, including dizziness and vertigo. In a study published in 2022 of 1,512 people with COVID, researchers found that 16% had dizziness and 12% had vertigo.
Risk Factors
Dizziness and vertigo might affect anyone with COVID, regardless of the severity of their symptoms. Still, research has found that some people might be likelier to develop neurological symptoms than others.
Risk factors for dizziness and vertigo with COVID include:
Female sex
A lack of physical activity (i.e., during self-isolation)
Mental stress
Older age
When Does It Happen?
Research has found that dizziness and vertigo might occur with COVID or after infection.
Daker LI, Elshafei RR, Bahi M, et al. Could vertigo be a post-COVID-19 sequela or presenting symptom? Egypt J Neurol Psychiatr Neurosurg. 2023;59(1):65. doi:10.1186/s41983-023-00659-x
Post-COVID conditions, or long COVID, are symptoms that persist for weeks to years after infection.10 The 2023 study noted that inflammation in the brain might cause brain- and nerve-related long COVID symptoms.7 Those symptoms may last between 10 days to 10 weeks.
Other neurological symptoms of COVID and long COVID may include:
Anxiety and depression
Brain fog, or difficulty concentrating and thinking
Confusion
Dementia
Headache
Mood changes (e.g., feeling angry or sad)
Nerve damage (e.g., numbness and tingling)
A new loss of taste or smell
Seizures
POTS is another health condition that research has linked to COVID. POTS causes a sudden drop in blood flow to the heart after you stand up, which might cause dizziness. A study published in 2022 of 12,000 adults with COVID found that 260 developed POTS after infection.
Other Causes of Dizziness and Vertigo
There are several causes of dizziness and vertigo. Most commonly, a sudden drop in blood pressure, dehydration, and standing up too quickly cause dizziness and vertigo.
Like COVID, allergies, colds, and the flu may make you feel dizzy and lightheaded. Labyrinthitis is an inner ear problem that results from a viral infection and causes vertigo.
Other causes of dizziness and vertigo might include:
Bleeding in the brain
Brain tumor
Certain medications (e.g., drugs that lower your blood pressure)
Heart problems (e.g., abnormal heartbeat and heart attack)
Low blood sugar
Motion sickness
Multiple sclerosis (MS), or a health condition that affects your brain and spinal cord12
Seizures
Shock, or extremely low blood pressure
Stroke
Treatment Options
You can generally treat dizziness and vertigo at home. Avoid changing positions or standing up too quickly. Try holding on to something while standing up.
Try the following to prevent worsening vertigo symptoms:
Avoid looking at bright lights, reading, or watching TV if you have symptoms.
Sit still and rest while your symptoms pass.
Slowly build up physical activity.
Use a cane to help you walk if you often lose your balance.
There are no official guidelines for treating dizziness and vertigo that results from COVID. Research has found that healthcare providers have used corticosteroids to treat vestibular neuritis with COVID. Antihistamines and physical therapy may help.9 Physical therapy helps improve your balance and strengthen your muscles.
Drinking plenty of fluids, eating salt tablets, and wearing compression stockings may help ease POTS symptoms. A healthcare provider might prescribe medications to treat POTS.
Avoid climbing, driving, and operating heavy machinery for at least one week after your dizziness and vertigo subsides. Your injury risk increases if a dizzy spell occurs during those activities.11
When To Contact a Healthcare Provider
Dizziness typically subsides on its own or with supportive treatment. You usually do not need to contact a healthcare provider if you get dizzy occasionally with apparent causes, like motion sickness or standing up too quickly.
Consult a healthcare provider if you:
Become dizzy often
Feel dizzy after taking medication
Have hearing loss
Have worsening symptoms
When To Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Seek immediate medical attention if you have:
Changes in your speech or vision
Chest pain
Difficulty breathing
Fainting
A fever higher than 101 degrees with a headache and stiff neck
A head injury
An inability to move your arms or legs
An irregular heartbeat
Seizures
Trouble keeping fluids down
Weakness
A Quick Review
Dizziness and vertigo might be signs of COVID. It's not uncommon for viral infections to make you feel dizzy and lightheaded. Some people with COVID have developed inner ear problems and POTS, which causes dizziness.
Consult a healthcare provider if your dizziness or vertigo is new or worsening during or after COVID infection. They might prescribe medications or recommend physical therapy to help with your balance and strength.