November 27, 2019

Why Do Pregnant People Get Vertigo?

The short answer from a balance disorders specialist

Pregnant woman suffering from a dizzy spell

Oh hormones. Those feisty, relentless and crucial little substances in our body that influence how we function. Sometimes our hormones run smoothly without us even noticing and other times they seem to take over control.

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This is especially true of pregnancy hormones and why they sometimes get a bad rep – causing mood swings, changes to your metabolism and feeling dizzy or like the room is spinning around you.

During pregnancy, your blood flow increases to your baby and is slower to return to you in your veins. Add this with changes in position – like standing for too long, lying down or quick movements – and you may be more susceptible to feeling dizzy or lightheaded during pregnancy.

Sometimes, also with hormonal changes, one of the other culprits for causing vertigo is an underlying history of migraines. If you’re more susceptible to migraines, the change in pregnancy hormones could trigger one, and vertigo could be a secondary symptom of it.

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The biggest reason for vertigo or dizziness in pregnancy? Hormonal changes.

– Audiologist Julie Honaker, PhD.

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