Swimming the phone for a long time can cause many people to suddenly feel dizzy and lose balance when raising their heads. According to neurologists, this is not simply eye strain but may be related to imbalance due to excessive visual stimulation.
According to Dr. Avinash Kulkarni, neurologist at Gleneagles Hospital BGS (India), dizziness occurs when the brain receives conflicting signals between the eyes, inner ears and body perception.
Normally, these three systems coordinate rhythmically. But when a factor is overloaded, the brain will have difficulty determining the state of the body's movement," he said.
Why is using a phone easily causing dizziness?
The phone screen continuously displays fast motions such as thick video clips, content scrolls, light effects and transitions. These images cause the eyes to record continuous motion, while the body and inner ear remain standing still. This difference creates signal conflicts in the brain, leading to feelings of dizziness, dizziness, nausea or temporary loss of direction.
This phenomenon is called dizziness due to vision or virtual motion sickness in medicine, similar to motion sickness but the source of motion comes from the screen, not the surrounding environment.
Why are young people prone to this situation?
Dr. Avinash Kulkarni said that young people are the group that records the most dizziness related to electronic devices. The cause comes from prolonged screen usage, frequently surfing the phone when lying down, in low light or both using the phone and doing other things.
These habits make the vestibular system overactive, gradually making the brain more sensitive to visual movements and easily starts to dizziness.
Signs to note
Dizziness due to using a phone usually manifests by:
Gentle spinning sensation when raising your head from the screen
Slight dizziness or loss of balance
Headache, eye strain after using the phone for a long time
Mild nausea, difficulty concentrating
More sensitive to light or moving images
If the symptoms recur frequently, this is a sign that the balance system is overloaded.
Role of the vestibular system
The vestibular system lies in the inner ear, consisting of small tubes containing fluid and cells that sense head movement. When the eye continuously records movement from the screen but the inner ear does not sense corresponding movement, the brain receives two contradictory pieces of information. This conflict is the cause of dizziness.
How to prevent dizziness from using phones
According to Dr. Kulkarni, it is not necessary to stop using the phone completely, but habits should be adjusted:
Every 20 minutes, look out for at least 20 seconds
Avoid lying on your phone, keep your head straight.
Use the phone in sufficient lighting conditions
Reduce effect speed, limit watching fast-moving content for a long time
Drink enough water, get enough sleep to stabilize the nervous system
When do you need to see a doctor?
If dizziness persists, accompanied by nausea, tinnitus, hearing loss or obvious loss of balance, patients should see a neurologist or ear, nose and throat specialist. Some cases may be related to vestibular headaches, vestibular disorders, or inner ear diseases.
The information in the article is for reference only, not for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should talk directly with your doctor for accurate and appropriate advice to your health condition.
