Dizziness Using Mobile

[Chrisjr19]

Random one, but does anyone else get dizziness when using their mobile phone. It seems to happen a lot when I’m scrolling through something like a newsfeed or in FB. I get a sudden bout of dizziness like I’m going to pass out and when I look up I struggle to refocus on the room around me (this is usually followed by a wave of panic until I tell myself it will pass and calm down).

Sometimes it also feels like it’s triggered by using my fingers to write a text like the act of controlling my fingers is causing some kind of upset (but suspect it’s more to do with the eyes).

Always so easy to just pass it off as “another symptom” but aware that I shouldn’t just ignore things.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give, it is always much appreciated!

 

[Juanita Vee]

Yes, I have noticed if I use a bigger screen like my laptop and do less scrolling, it helps. I'm trying to find more things to do off computers/phones but it is hard when those things have the most entertaining things that use the least amount of spoons/battery/energy (whatever you call it, lol!).

 

[indigokid]

Definitely, any kind of screen for me. I wondered if it was a POTs style symptom?

 

[Chrisjr19]

Yes, I have noticed if I use a bigger screen like my laptop and do less scrolling, it helps. I'm trying to find more things to do off computers/phones but it is hard when those things have the most entertaining things that use the least amount of spoons/battery/energy (whatever you call it, lol!).

Good to know I’m not alone with this one. I’ll try a bigger screen and see if it helps. It’s more of a problem when I’m in a crash stage, gets better in between and just comes and goes randomly.

Yes it’s hard to put your phone down now, you conduct your entire life on it. Especially when sitting in bed tired out.

I need to try evenings with it switched off and out of sight

 

[Chrisjr19]

Definitely, any kind of screen for me. I wondered if it was a POTs style symptom?

That’s an interesting one, I seem to get intermittent POTs symptoms but docs haven’t picked up on anything yet. My current GP has decided my illness is caused by anxiety and is ignoring the ME/CFS diagnosis

 

[indigokid]

Sounds familiar! I’ve had demonstrable and treated POTs symptoms since the âge of 11 but sadly the GP can’t consider more than one symptom per appointment due to a pathological demand avoidance protocol called the 10 minute appointment.

I found this site useful https://www.potsuk.org/

 

[Chrisjr19]

Sounds familiar! I’ve had demonstrable and treated POTs symptoms since the âge of 11 but sadly the GP can’t consider more than one symptom per appointment due to a pathological demand avoidance protocol called the 10 minute appointment.

I found this site useful https://www.potsuk.org/

Yes it makes things hard when you can only focus on one area, yet it’s an illness with systemic effects

Thank you, I’ll check that site out!

 

[Zebra]

ALL screens for me: mobile, computer, and TV. Thank goodness I prefer reading actual books, but it does hamper my medical research.

If you have the energy, I think it would be worthwhile to visit an opthalmologist, or even better, a neuro-opthamologist, before chalking it up to another oddity of ME/CFS.

My symptoms were first attributed to "possible disorder of the central vestibulo-occular pathway," but no lesions were identified on head or brain MRI.

Later was told I had vestibular neuritis, which was a good fit for episodes of dysequalibrium (don't think I spelled that correctly!) and true vertigo. Those symptoms subsided after 4 long years, and yet the visual disturbance component remains.

I hope this info might be helpful to you!

 

[Chrisjr19]

ALL screens for me: mobile, computer, and TV. Thank goodness I prefer reading actual books, but it does hamper my medical research.

If you have the energy, I think it would be worthwhile to visit an opthalmologist, or even better, a neuro-opthamologist, before chalking it up to another oddity of ME/CFS.

My symptoms were first attributed to "possible disorder of the central vestibulo-occular pathway," but no lesions were identified on head or brain MRI.

Later was told I had vestibular neuritis, which was a good fit for episodes of dysequalibrium (don't think I spelled that correctly!) and true vertigo. Those symptoms subsided after 4 long years, and yet the visual disturbance component remains.

I hope this info might be helpful to you!

Oh no, that’s annoying, don’t know what I’d do if it got to that point. Read a lot of books though, so there’s always that. Maybe I should take it as a sign that I need to use my phone less!

I’ve seen a couple of ophthalmologists, but they never find anything wrong with the actual workings of the eyes (even though I get intermittent anisocoria with one pupil smaller than the other, or larger depending on which way round it’s going wrong).

I’ll look into the vestibular neuritis too, that sounds interesting, thank you!

 

[indigokid]

Vestibular neuritis sounds like something I had a few years ago. The doctor wanted to wait and see. I treated it with the epley manœuvre and then vrt using a wii fit and balance board (rubbish) and then learned to climb (brilliant!).

Neuro ophthalmologist is a new one, hello Google!

 

[Zebra]

Hey @Chrisjr19!

I wanted to let you know that I also have aniscoria!

And ... it appeared at the exact same time my dizziness started. My left pupil is much larger than my right. I've had the optic nerve examined, and the doc claims that all is well.

The neuro who treats me at the Autonomic Disorders Clinic told me that aniscoria is commonly associated with Dysatonomia, which unfortunately, I have. I received this diagnosis after what they call "the full battery" of tests for autonomic dyfunction.

I see that @indigokid mentioned POTS to you. POTS is one of many conditions caused by autonomic dysfunction.

If you know all this already, please forgive me. When you mentioned your aniscoria, I felt I should share with you what I've learned thus far.

As I tell my sister all the time: I wish I didn't know this stuff. 😉

 

[taniaaust1]

Definitely, any kind of screen for me. I wondered if it was a POTs style symptom?

Raising arms up above heart level can actually cause POTS symptoms. I found out this the hard way when one time I went to pay for something in a store and they had a counter which was very high, it was to my chest level. The moment I raised my arm to pay, this action sent me crashing to the floor and almost made me pass out completely. After that occurred I actually found raising arms on very good list of POTS triggers on a dysautonomia site.

So it is quite possible that some may be setting their POTS off worst they raise a phone to their ear to talk.

 

[Chrisjr19]

Hey @Chrisjr19!

I wanted to let you know that I also have aniscoria!

And ... it appeared at the exact same time my dizziness started. My left pupil is much larger than my right. I've had the optic nerve examined, and the doc claims that all is well.

The neuro who treats me at the Autonomic Disorders Clinic told me that aniscoria is commonly associated with Dysatonomia, which unfortunately, I have. I received this diagnosis after what they call "the full battery" of tests for autonomic dyfunction.

I see that @indigokid mentioned POTS to you. POTS is one of many conditions caused by autonomic dysfunction.

If you know all this already, please forgive me. When you mentioned your aniscoria, I felt I should share with you what I've learned thus far.

As I tell my sister all the time: I wish I didn't know this stuff. 😉

OMG, that’s really good to know. Heard that pupil size can be effected, but not seen so much about one side being the issue, good to know I’m not alone. It’s very weird, it’s not there all the time, tends to be when I’m very tired or just gotten out of bed. Also get intermittent pain behind the eye with the smaller pupil.

Having read the general symptoms of Dysatonomia is does cover a lot of the issues I get. I will need to explore that area further. Could be why I get som many issues with palpitations and heart rate.

Thanks again!

 

[Wishful]

Does the effect happen when you read paper text? If not, I suggest you try an ebook reader (your library might have one for loaning). E-ink displays are more like text on paper. You can use them as internet browsers and probably other computer tasks. They might not be great at them, but if it doesn't trigger your dizziness, it might be a workable compromise.

 

[Chrisjr19]

Does the effect happen when you read paper text? If not, I suggest you try an ebook reader (your library might have one for loaning). E-ink displays are more like text on paper. You can use them as internet browsers and probably other computer tasks. They might not be great at them, but if it doesn't trigger your dizziness, it might be a workable compromise.

I’d not thought about that, good point! I use a Kindle and it doesn’t seem to set off eye problem which is good. I might try the browser on it too

 

[Wishful]

Sounds like more experimentation is in order to figure out what aspect of your screen use is triggering the problem. Maybe try just reading text on your phone, at the same rate and movements as on your Kindle. Maybe it's the screen flicker, maybe it's the finger movements, maybe it's the movement of the text. If you can figure out specifically what is triggering the problem, you can find some ways to avoid it.

 

[indigokid]

Does the effect happen when you read paper text? If not, I suggest you try an ebook reader (your library might have one for loaning). E-ink displays are more like text on paper. You can use them as internet browsers and probably other computer tasks. They might not be great at them, but if it doesn't trigger your dizziness, it might be a workable compromise.

I love E-Ink displays. I was devastated when my 9 year old sat on my old one. The new one is great, waterproof and has a backlight. Although I do find the backlight a strain sometimes as well (but you can turn it off!).

 

[Seadragon]

Random one, but does anyone else get dizziness when using their mobile phone. It seems to happen a lot when I’m scrolling through something like a newsfeed or in FB. I get a sudden bout of dizziness like I’m going to pass out and when I look up I struggle to refocus on the room around me (this is usually followed by a wave of panic until I tell myself it will pass and calm down).

Sometimes it also feels like it’s triggered by using my fingers to write a text like the act of controlling my fingers is causing some kind of upset (but suspect it’s more to do with the eyes).

Always so easy to just pass it off as “another symptom” but aware that I shouldn’t just ignore things.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give, it is always much appreciated!

Could be "visual vertigo". I have this when scrolling - it's an intermittent symptom for me and flares up during viral-type symptom phases. I also have intermittent vertigo/labyrinthitis.

 

[Chrisjr19]

Could be "visual vertigo". I have this when scrolling - it's an intermittent symptom for me and flares up during viral-type symptom phases. I also have intermittent vertigo/labyrinthitis.

That sounds like what is happening to me too. Not there all the time, just when I’m having a bad flare up. After overdoing things last weekend, my right eye is now having trouble with light and keeps getting a blurry section in the bottom of my field of vision like when you stare at something too bright. Been having to wear sunglasses to stop it even in the house 😂

 

[Seadragon]

That sounds like what is happening to me too. Not there all the time, just when I’m having a bad flare up. After overdoing things last weekend, my right eye is now having trouble with light and keeps getting a blurry section in the bottom of my field of vision like when you stare at something too bright. Been having to wear sunglasses to stop it even in the house 😂

Yes, I get the blurryness and misty vision too (feels like there is a misty film on all or part of my eye, sometimes but not always relieved by frequent blinking) especially when overtired later on in the evening. I also get a halo effect with looking directly at lights or the TV in the evening.

I did go for some tests with an opthalmologist but they found nothing. It's definitely worse when I have overdone it or certain viral type symptoms are flaring and seems to coincide with the vertigo stuff being worse sometimes.

There are quite a few threads on vision problems on this forum if you do a search for them.