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open spaces

Posted , 6 users are following.

h1954
h1954

Does anyone else find dizziness/vertigo provoked by open spaces?. I had a bad time 3 years ago with dizziness/vertigo - was ill for 7 months, off work for 4 of them. Had all manner of investigations which excluded my heart, brain or ears as the cause. Only possiblility neither proved nor disproved was migraine associated vertigo, but I couldn't understand why it happened all the time. Eventually was ok, don't know what helped, but persisted with very occasional problems in open spaces, which I kind of worked around. Had recurrence about 6 weeks ago and now get really panicky when approaching open spaces, which doesn't help. Taking amitriptylene as migraine prevention which makes me very tired. Anyone had anything similar?

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  • SarahCuda
    SarahCuda h1954

    Posted

    I think vast open spaces,. mess with the eyes.... I call it visual overload biggrin   and your brain has a hard time processing it.

    Personally I haven't had that issue in the past.  Now with this recent Vertigo spell, I go into a large store and my eyes kind of freak on me.  But i just take a breather and then all is well again.

    • h1954
      h1954 SarahCuda

      Posted

      Hi, Sarah, intresting you say about visual overload, cos I would have thought open spaces had little of that, but I had a big problem a couple of weeks ago in an open space, but the pattern of tiles on the ground really seemed to get at me an I was awful for hours. Supermarket aisles were a complete no go for me before, but I'm not that bad this time. Hope you recover well.
    • SarahCuda
      SarahCuda h1954

      Posted

      This is my theory.....  Yes people prone with dizness can feel visual overload in many situations....  In a crowded grocery store, while I may get dizzy for a minute, I find if I focus on something it goes away... But with open spaces (say a field) there's nothing for your eyes to draw attention to.... Does that make sense?  
  • gillian76726
    gillian76726 h1954

    Posted

    ALthough i personally  Don,t have a problem with wide open spaces, mine is more inside, I have  just come back from my appointment at the Neurological Hospital in London and will share with you a list,of on line, You Tube, special videos that are for our problem,with exercises to,do. Am about to,look myself!! Lots more, some for driving (I don,t drive). Whichnimwill  share Also another time.

    Emis Moderator comment: I have removed the direct links. If users want this information please use the Private Message service to request the details.

    http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398331-private-messages

  • gillian76726
    gillian76726 h1954

    Posted

    Sorry folk it,seems the videos  on YouTube do not come with exercises as I thought. I will call my,lady tomorrow and clarify that?  I am thinking that they may just be for desensitising which is okay too.
  • Terry6872737
    Terry6872737 h1954

    Posted

    Look up Vestibular Occular Reflex, VOR, and I believe that you will find your answer for why large open spaces and large stores with busy isles cause issues for people that suffer from vestibular deficits. Gaze stabilization exercises will help to overcome this.
    • gillian76726
      gillian76726 Terry6872737

      Posted

      Hi Terry, can  ask you something, while I am waiting for my post to be r ,moderated?  .when you say gaze stabilisation, what does that consist of?I have been given some videos to watch on YouTube, basically of walking through crowds,,down streets, supermarkets,,even though I do  not have a problem at the time, my physio reckons the ,knock on, effect that comes later is,caused by all that motion that i have probably adjusted subconcu

      iously!

    • SarahCuda
      SarahCuda gillian76726

      Posted

      My PT just gave me some yesterday....

      1.  Focus on one spot and then move your eyes as quickly as you can back and forth

      2.  Focus on one spot BUT move your head side to side as quickly as you can with your eyes still focusing on that one spot.

      I have to do them up to 5 times a day for up to 1 minute.

    • Terry6872737
      Terry6872737 gillian76726

      Posted

      Just go to Youtube and type in "Gaze Stabilization VOR".  There will be several that come up.  Some were produced at the University of Michigan in the US and they are good.  Some others are produced by DR. Lisa Koch.  Use her name added to the search above.  I also had a website for exercises called "saccades".  You can find those on a website called eyecanlearn.  Just enter that search into Google.

      The Koch videos on Youtube are really good, though.

    • gillian76726
      gillian76726 Terry6872737

      Posted

      Wow,that,s,great Terry,,thanks,I,will,definitely have a look at those! They may be better than the ones I,ve been given to look at. Have younusednthem yourself, and got anything outnofmthem?
    • Terry6872737
      Terry6872737 gillian76726

      Posted

      Yes, I used the saccades website and some from each of the University of Michigan videos as well as some of those that Dr Koch demonstrates.
    • Terry6872737
      Terry6872737 gillian76726

      Posted

      With all of this stuff it is hard to tell what helps and what doesn't.  I think that time has made the most difference.  But, in saying that, having done them I can now go into large stores with little issue and walking and peering down the street scape does not bother me.  Early on I had a bouncing sensation when I walked like my eyes and head were out of sync, hence the research in the VOR.  That answered my questions as to what I was experiencing and then I started the exercises.  Took me probably 2 to 3 months to get the feeling resolved going into stores. 

      Hope that somewhat answers your question. 

    • h1954
      h1954 Terry6872737

      Posted

      Thanks, Terry, I'll follow this up and the info on your subsequent posts
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