Can stress cause vertigo?

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension.  It can come from any event or thought that makes a person feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is a person’s body's reaction to a challenge or demand. In small increments, stress can be a good thing; it can help motivate a person to meet a deadline or flee from danger.

Vertigo is a sensation of feeling off-balance.  If a person is dizzy, it can feel like they are spinning or the world is spinning around them.  About five percent of Americans experience vertigo.  Some people also experience vertigo when they are feeling stressed or anxious.  Vertigo can happen when the balance organs in the inner ear are affected (there is fluid build-up in the ear) or when the blood supply to a person’s brain is impacted, making a person feel lightheaded and dizzy.  Head and ear injuries or migraines can also cause vertigo.  Emotions can trigger vertigo but differently.

When a person is stressed, an influx of cortisol released into a person’s body can cause an increase in blood pressure, a boost in adrenaline, headaches, and digestive problems.  According to Healthline, while people can experience vertigo when stressed, stress does not directly cause vertigo. However, stress can contribute to the dysfunction of the part of your inner ear that controls balance, called the vestibular system.

Elevated stress levels and cortisol can impact the transmission of information from a person’s inner ear to their brain.  In addition, other chemicals released when a person is stressed can also impact the flow of messages.

A 2018 study published by NIH found a strong correlation between vertigo and stress for individuals with anxiety, mood, and personality disorders. Stress often triggers patients who experience comorbidity or two chronic disorders presenting at once.  As a result, it is very important for people who are more susceptible to vertigo to control their stress and keep their stress levels down.  Usually, once a person’s nervous system goes back to homeostasis, the stress may dissipate, but vertigo may stay or worsen as a remaining symptom.  Most vertigo is typically treated with medication, physical therapy, surgery, and time.