Dizziness, Anxiety, and Vestibular Disorders With Dr. Madison Oak

On this week’s episode of A Healthy Push podcast, I was joined by Dr. Madison Oak, a licensed vestibular physical therapist. I was so excited to dive into an interesting topic that Madison is an expert on: the relationship between dizziness and anxiety. 

We cover a host of intriguing subjects, including reasons some people develop dizziness, how it can relate to your anxiety, and what you can do to address it! 

Inner Ear Disorders

First, let’s understand what exactly Madison specializes in and how the different terms are defined. As Madison explains, conditions such as dizziness, balance, and vertigo can all be classified as “inner ear disorders”. Additionally, in her field, “dizziness” is typically used as an umbrella term that can imply one or more inner ear disorders are occurring. These disorders can affect people differently, with varying causes and levels of severity. 

Top Reasons People Experience Inner Ear Disorders:

1. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

An inner ear disorder that can cause episodes of vertigo or a spinning sensation. 

2. Vestibular Migraines 

A type of migraine where people experience a combination of vertigo, dizziness, and or balance problems, in addition to other migraine symptoms. 

3. Vestibular Neuritis 

A condition that causes inflammation of the vestibular nerve, which is responsible for balance.

4. Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness (3PD)

A chronic inner ear disorder that causes a constant feeling of dizziness or unsteadiness. It’s often caused by a triggering event, such as an underlying inner ear problem or concussion. 

Of the disorders listed above, Madison explains that the most common, and in turn the one she finds herself specializing in, is Vestibular Migraines. This disorder can be caused by one or more neurological issues. 

Common Causes of Vestibular Migraines: 

• Lack of Sleep/Irregular Sleep Patterns

• Stress 

• Blood Sugar Irregularity 

• Can Also Be Purely Genetic

The Relationship Between Dizziness and Anxiety

Dizziness, like anxiety, is an error signal. It is your brain telling you something is wrong, whether it be physically or perceptually. However, it was interesting to hear that in her experience, Madison rarely sees people who are experiencing dizziness as a symptom of their anxiety. In fact, she observes that it is often the other way around: the dizziness or inner ear disorder is causing the anxiety. 

This was somewhat surprising to hear, but the more Madison explained, the more it made sense. Those of us who suffer from anxiety or panic attacks are familiar with the “unknown”, and how these feelings of uncertainty, no matter the source, can cause our anxiety to heighten in general. If someone is experiencing an undiagnosed inner ear disorder, not knowing how or why it is occurring, you can see how this may cause some form of anxiety after a while. 

How to Navigate and Recover

While we’ve learned how dizziness and anxiety can become intertwined, the approaches to addressing inner ear disorders are eerily similar to how you’d address anxiety (which is actually a good thing!). At the end of the day, the aim is to regulate our nervous system the best we can. Madison takes us through some of the most common ways to start navigating your inner ear disorder(s). 

The Basics: 

• Prioritize Sleep 

• Manage your Mindset

• Make Sure Your Diet/Hydration is Adequate and Consistent

• Educate Yourself on Inner Ear Disorders

• Make Sure Bloodwork is Optimal 

• Medication Can Work for Some 

Acceptance…

Last, but not least, is something many of you should find familiar: acceptance. Madison explains the importance of accepting your inner ear disorder and allowing yourself to fully experience the symptoms, all in an effort to start rationally addressing them. Much like anxiety, if we are not allowing ourselves to feel these uncomfortable symptoms, and are not understanding them, we are hindering our chances at long-term recovery. 

I can’t thank Madison enough for joining me on this very interesting and layered topic, I hope you find her unique insights helpful! If you’d like to hear more or follow Dr. Oak, you can find her, here.

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