Dizziness and Computer Use

[apanda0622]

I have vertigo, extreme dizziness, and it affects my computer use.  I've been fine for a few years, but its bothering me again.  I've been having to use the computer alot lately for school papers and at my internship and looking for a job (I'm graduating college in May).  I guess spending more time on the computer than usual is making me dizzy and I don't think allergies are helping either.  So I've been trying to get on the computer less, but I haven't been on the boards or ebay much because of it.  =-(  Vertigo sucks!  LOL.

[4Lindy]

My sister in law suffered with horrible vertigo for a couple of years, they finally figured out that all the caffeine she was drinking (she was a Dr. Pepper addict) was the problem.  She stopped all caffeine and it completely went away...........you might try cutting out all caffeine if you haven't already :-)

[Eviecorn]

4lindy makes a great suggestion.  I have similar problems sometimes when I combine computer use and caffeine.  At least scale it back some and see if it helps.

Hope it clears up soon!

[apanda0622]

Thanks for the suggestion!  I guess in my original post I should have mentioned my vertigo is mostly neurological, so its not from ear problems.  I take medicine to control it, but it only works to a point.

[Eviecorn]

That DOES make a difference.  Have you told your doctor that the medication isn't doing enough with your current situation?

[apanda0622]

That DOES make a difference.  Have you told your doctor that the medication isn't doing enough with your current situation?

Yes, my doctor knows that I still get dizzy sometimes.  The medication I take I want to keep at a low amount because of the side effects.  If I get too high of a dose, its affects my menstural cycle, mood, insulin, etc.  So right now I'm at a dose that helps to a point and the rest I have to deal with or work around.  I may consider increasing my dose after I graduate and before I get job--that would be a good experiment time.

[Chrissytree]

Have you tried changing the colour of the screen?  I was getting eye strain and using Excel you can fill the background black and make the wording green or something.  I'm not sure if that's the kind of thing that might help, You can do the same thing in word, if you change the page colour and lettering colour. 
Maybe toning the brightness on the screen would help too?

[kaoskat]

That stinks! I hope it gets better soon!

[Rad]

I sorta had that happen to me after I graduated from college, and it was due to extra/additional computer use. I got my laptop for college and after graduation I had no job and very little to do around the house so I began using it at least four times as normal. As in, I was basically on it from morning until evening; I did a lot of reading. Oh sure, I did job searches too, but I kinda lived on my laptop for the first couple of weeks... Heh, no school was nice!! Back on topic, I suffered from dizziness, headaches and my eyes hurt a lot when I would move away from the laptop. So your vertigo might be affected by the excessive/additional use of your computer. Just my two cents! I hope it goes away soon!

[mlp4me]

I understand the whole vertigo thing. Staring at the computer, reading and scrolling can make you just wanna go lay down and not move.

When I was at my dizziest during a really bad sinus infection I was prescribed a strong antihistimine, really helped... but I understand if your issue is neurological that may not help at all...

Although I've reached my hour limit on the computer, I still have dizzy spells, I think my issue is an astigmatism that needs an updated prescription tho. Yep getting a headache and gettin' dizzy... lol.

[melodys_angel]

Are you sure its not atleast partly an inner ear ballance issue? Like, the liquid in your ears isnt level?

Dad suffers from that so I know exactly what goes on.  I tend to have issues from time to time too but its on a completely unrelated note.

[teresat]

I totally have this. My first vertigo attack landed me in the ER and I thought I was having a stroke. I was in front of the computer when it hit.

I went to an ear specialist and was told I had some inner ear issues. They gave me a bunch of exercises to do to help. Tae Kwon Do helps too!

[apanda0622]

Are you sure its not atleast partly an inner ear ballance issue? Like, the liquid in your ears isnt level?

Dad suffers from that so I know exactly what goes on.  I tend to have issues from time to time too but its on a completely unrelated note.

I went to an ENT when I first got vertigo, and part of it was from displacement of particles in my ear, but I have been to vestibular therapy and its helped but only to a point.  This leads the doctors to think the rest of the vertigo is neurological since it is helped by the medication I am on.

[lemontwist]

That sucks! Maybe you should make it a point to get up and move around or lay down for one minute every five or ten minutes, to give yourself small breaks? It shouldn't interfere much with whatever you're doing on the computer but it might help if you're not staring at it for long periods of time.

[Chrissytree]

I had vertigo for about 4 months last year.  I went to the GP and she settled the ear particles doing head movements and it was bad that day but went away for a few days.  I did the exercises again and it hasn't come back.  It might be worth trying them again?