Can Your Computer Make You Feel Dizzy?

I woke up the other night feeling dizzy.

I opened my eyes to the darkness and felt the world spinning around and around. I turned onto my back and held still, hoping the sensation would pass. It eventually did and I went back to sleep.

The dizziness stayed with me the next day, coming and going at various times. It wasn’t connected to anything commonly known to cause dizziness, such as low blood pressure or the flu.

Curious about what could be causing it, I did some research. Would you be surprised to learn that I could potentially blame my dizziness…on my computer?

Yes, your computer may be causing your world to spin in circles. Read on to find out how.

You May Feel Dizzy Because of Computer Eye Syndrome

First, let’s define exactly what dizziness is. The Oxford dictionary describes it as “a sensation of spinning around and losing one’s balance.” One may also feel woozy, faint, or unsteady. “Vertigo” is also used to describe it, and refers specifically to the feeling that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving.

So here’s the surprise: apparently, dizziness is a common problem in people who spend long hours working at the computer.

There are a few possible reasons for this. The first is related to our eyes. Long hours staring at the computer (and other devices like tablets and cell phones) can cause eye strain and dry eyes.

This condition is so common that we have a medical name for it now: computer vision syndrome or CVS. (Read more about this in our post, “What Your Computer is Doing to Your Eyes.”)

Intensely focusing on the computer screen for hours at a time strains your eyes to the point that it can cause dizziness and vertigo, similar to the sensations you may feel if you sit too close to the screen in a movie theater.

The risk is higher if:

• you consistently switch back and forth between two monitors
• you frequently check your phone or tablet while working on your computer
• you sit (or stand) too close to the screen
• you work under lights that flicker (whether you notice the flicker or not)
• you work under lights that are too bright or too dim

We’ll talk about how to prevent and solve the problem below. Meanwhile, let’s move on to another potential cause of computer dizziness.

Cyber Dizziness Comes From All That Scrolling

Another common cause of computer-related dizziness is “cyber dizziness” or “digital motion sickness.”

This is caused by the false feeling of motion you may experience when looking at a series of moving pictures on the computer or scrolling quickly through your social media feeds. Sometimes the dizziness is accompanied by a sensation of nausea.

Cybersickness is becoming more and more common, according to doctors, and may create symptoms similar to being out at sea or on an unpredictable amusement park ride.

Experts think this movement sensation is caused by a mismatch between what we see (motion) and what we feel (stillness), creating a criss-cross of inputs from the various senses that results in nausea and dizziness.

If you’re in a cabin in a boat, the delicate structures in your middle ear sense movement, but you can’t see it. This mismatch results in you suffering from dizziness and nausea. With cybersickness, the situation is reversed. You’re seeing movement, but you’re not feeling it. Dizziness results.

Poor Posture and Tight Muscles May Also Lead to Dizziness

There’s one more common cause of computer-related dizziness: poor posture.

Let’s face it—sitting for long hours in front of the computer is not a natural position for the human body. When we do this day after day, year after year, we can suffer the consequences, particularly if we fall into a bad posture that consists of:

• A rounded, C-shaped back and spine
• The head jutting forward from the neck
• The shoulders rounded forward

This bad posture, when held for long periods, creates a sort of repetitive injury that can negatively affect the vertebrae in the spine while tightening the muscles in the back, potentially creating “trigger points” or “knots” of tight muscles.

Trigger points have been linked to chronic pain, recurrent migraines, dizziness, and vertigo.

Other Potential Causes of Computer Dizziness

There are some other less common causes of computer dizziness. If you haven’t had your eyes checked lately, for example, and you’re straining to see clearly, that could be at the root of the problem. Getting your prescription updated could fix it.

Some people may also have a rare vestibular disorder that makes them over-process movement, making them extra sensitive to images on a computer screen, tablet, or phone.

If your dizziness persists, it’s always best to check with a doctor to make sure there isn’t some other underlying medical condition that may be causing the problem.

Many people, however, are simply suffering from too much time at the computer. We writers usually don’t have a choice, so we have to put some safeguards into place.

How to Prevent Computer-Related Dizziness and Vertigo

If you suspect your dizziness may be related to your computer use, try these tips to stop to it:

• Keep your screen an arm’s length from your eyes—that applies to your cell phone and tablet too.
• If you’re going from one screen to another, try to look away for a moment first, allowing your eyes to focus on something in the distance, before changing screens.
• Take regular breaks to get up, walk around, and look out a window. Every 30 minutes is best.
• Adjust your lighting. Turn any overhead lights off (if possible) and use natural light and soft lights positioned slightly behind and to the side of your work area.
• Limit your time on your gadgets as much as possible. Set “end-times” each day after which all gadgets must be off.
• Keep eye drops at your desk and use them when needed.
• Invest in a good standing desk option and a good office chair, then switch back and forth between the two about every hour or so.
• Watch your posture and try to keep your back straight your head centered over your shoulders.
• If you suspect you have trigger points, see a massage therapist for help, or try at-home devices meant to help you work out these knots. (Here’s an example of a set of both smooth and spikey balls designed for deep tissue trigger-point therapy.) You can also use a regular tennis ball.

Have you suffered from cyberdizziness?

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_{Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels.}