Neck Problems and Dizzines

[Pigeon]

Hi everyone

My health anxiety has been quite bad lately with me worrying about various different symptoms one after the other. Things are getting better and I'm not too anxious about things at the moment but have got some more symptoms and thought I'd ask if anyone else has the same before it all starts to get out of hand.

My latest problem is with constant dizzyness. Some time last month I had a strange feeling in my bead which is hard to describe - but I'll call it a head zap as that's the nearest thing I can think of. I've never had this before or since, but immediately afterwards I started suffering dizzy spells which are getting worse and more frequent. It's not head-spinning type dizziness but feels like I'm on a boat and that I will loose my balance and fall over. I'm really struggling with stairs and when I wear heels and have found myself leaning on things to keep steady when just standing. My head also feels very foggy - as though its stuffed up and my eyes seem quite sore and a bit unfocused. It's hard to concentrate with all this going on.

I am trying not to get into a panic as I think these things are connected with my tinnitus which has got increasingly louder lately. I also have a problem with clenching my jaw and at the moment I have a very stiff, achey neck and shoulders due to my appalling posture when using the pc (which I do most of the day due to my job). It feels like all these things are connected and I have been thinking of doing something a bit more rational, like going to see a chiropracter rather than my GP complaining of a brain tumour or heart problems!

I just wanted to check if anyone has experienced similar and whther you could offer any advice ?

Thanks for reading :D

[Gary A]

First advice is always see your GP to rule out physical problems. I will say however that what you describe is classic anxiety dizziness, also known as true dizziness or psychogenic dizziness. That wave feeling you got initially may even have been an early panick attack and you don't even know it. Since then your body has become very sensitive to stimuli that makes you feel unbalanced, for instance wearing heels. When you're in that hyper aware state every little unsteady feeling tells your brain you're dizzy and that leads to what's known as a negative feedback loop. You feel dizzy, you tell yourself you're dizzy, the brain thinks you're dizzy, therefore you'll feel even more dizzy.

[Pigeon]

Thanks GaryA that's really interesting. When I had the head zap thing, I was really relaxed - having breakfast on a Saturday morning so it would suprise me if it was a panic attack . I did have a lot of stress for the six months before and hence all the HA synptoms but I really did think i was starting to get better. Perhaps it's not as straightforward as that.

I suppose I should go to see my GP but I really do hate going. Surprisingly I am quite convinced that the cause is my ear/neck problems and the whole brain tumour/heart etc is right in the background this time. It's so embarrassing to keep goin to see my GP (although not been since December) and don't want to waste anyone's time, including my own!

[Gary A]

It's not wasting anyone's time and if it puts your mind at ease it certainly isn't wasting yours.

Most panic attacks actually happen out of nowhere, beginning with an intense physical sensation which in turn leads you into the aforementioned feedback loop. If your "fight or flight" mode is triggered, you get physical symptoms, you then focus on that symptom or symptoms and it in turn becomes worse. The trick is to try to catch that initial sensation and subsequent emotion before it snowballs into a full blown attack.

[worrywart29]

I have the same exact thing found out it's caused by the Sternocleidomastoid muscle in the neck and is usually caused by bad posture I too sit hunched over while on the pc at work. Please look it up it's Google safe as it won't add to your anxiety

[Ange1]

I get the same dizziness with a recurring neck problem. The muscles tighten up...often caused by stress but also posture which pulls the vertebrae out a bit . This all in turn tightens the scalp muscles which leads to further symptoms. My husband treats injuries as his business so was able to explain everything to me and sort it out. It does still increase my anxiety when it flares up as I really hate the dizziness and how it restricts my life. X

[Pigeon]

Thanks for all your replies. Worrywart29 that was helpful to mention that it was Google safe. I did look it up and confirms what I suspected. And I looked at another thread that Gary A had replied on where he talks about hyperventilation syndrome being a potential cause and it seems to fit.

Although I have labelled myself with health anxiety for a long time, I have always thought that I would not be anxious if I did not experience the various symptoms I have. I absolutely hate it when yet another of set of vague things crop up and am certainly not the kind of person who "enjoys ill health" as I've heard it described before.

The things i worry about are usually classic symptoms associated with stress but I've always wondered if some kind of 'syndrome' is the cause of it all. I'm not saying it isn't connected with stress but I think the hyperventilation could be the cause of most them my symptoms - which kicks off the anxiety, which in turn cases muscle tension and combined with my bad posture casuses other aches and pains and it all becomes a bit of a vicious circle.

For once, this has really made me think about my lifestyle and attitude. I think I'm going to make some changes. Thanks you all for your help and kind words

xx