Vertigo is a deeply unpleasant thing to experience, and if you’ve ever been there, you know it can be seriously life debilitating.
Vertigo can stop us from enjoying a lot of the experiences life has to offer, though it can be treated with therapy in many cases.
But can surfing cause vertigo?
No, surfing cannot cause vertigo. Vertigo is caused by problems with balance in the inner ear but can also be an issue with problems in the brain. In any case, it is the result of an underlying condition, and is not caused by external factors. But surfing can trigger symptoms.
Vertigo can severely limit your ability to enjoy certain things like surfing, but you can rest assured that your surfing will not cause vertigo in the first place, nor will it make it worse.
It can trigger vertigo symptoms, though, so you should see a doctor about surfing if you suffer with vertigo.
Let’s find out more.
Do surfer’s ears affect balance?
Yes, in the same way that everyone’s ears play an important role in their balance.
Let’s look at exactly how that is the case.
Your balance organs are connected within the inner ear, and your inner ear fluid fills the balance canals.
Thus, when you move your head, the fluid flows around, which allows nerve signals to be triggered and move the balance around in your head.
It’s about extremely minute changes in your orientation, which are triggered by moving around.
As virtually the only example of a bipedal creature which walks upright, we are quite unique in how our balance works.
We don’t, like other apes, use our forearms to walk.
We need to maintain balance in our head because our heads are very large in relation to our body, compared with other animals.
Our spine supports our head, and the balance organs in our heads help us maintain that support through excellent and fine-tuned balance.
So, of course, for surfers, the inner ear and balance organs are really important.
Balance is a central part of surfing. Getting water in your ears during surfing, for example, can obviously have an effect on balance over time, though any affect like this will be easily reversed by removing the water.
So, a surfer’s ear affects balance in the same way everyone’s ears do!
Can the ocean give you vertigo?
No, the ocean cannot give you vertigo in the sense that you contract the condition from being in the ocean.
That said, as I mentioned, being in the ocean can, for various reasons, trigger the symptoms of vertigo.
The main problem is with getting water in the ear. Because of the need for the sensitive and minute movement of fluids in the ear to maintain balance, ocean water getting in there can really get in the way and affect that.
The movement of your head while underwater can also trigger vertigo, as the fluids are trying to overcorrect for the changes in balance.
But, again, it won’t cause vertigo in itself—so what does cause vertigo?
What is the most likely cause of vertigo?
There are many underlying causes of vertigo.
One of the most common is an infection called BPPV.
This is a viral infection in the vestibular nerve, which can cause constant vertigo.
Even after the infection has passed, the vertigo can remain and flare up from time to time.
In general, problems with the inner ear can cause vertigo, and are the most common cause of vertigo.
Many of the leading causes of vertigo can occur without any apparent reason and may simply be associated with age.
Meniere’s disease is another disorder which can bring about vertigo.
It’s important that you understand the distinction between the causes of having vertigo and triggering that vertigo.
Many things can trigger vertigo which affect your inner ear, but they will not cause it in the first place.
So, how can it be treated?
How can you treat vertigo?
Long term treatment of vertigo generally requires some form of physical therapy.
Doctors and PTs will go through many exercises manoeuvring the position of your head to help relieve the symptoms of vertigo.
Most people who develop vertigo will generally get better without any treatment.
In severe cases, though, you might need antibiotics for the infection, and then extended PT to address the symptoms.
But rest assured that your vertigo can, in all likelihood, be treated.
What does the beginning of vertigo feel like?
So, what does it feel like to have an episode of vertigo?
Well, if you’ve ever had the sensation of feeling off balance, then that’s basically what vertigo feels like.
It will begin with a dizzy spell, and that you or the world are spinning.
AS you can imagine, this makes surfing with vertigo quite dangerous, if you have an episode of vertigo while surfing, you are bound to fall in, and you may find it very difficult to get oriented and find the surface quickly.
It’s important to take vertigo seriously when surfing.
Experiencing vertigo can be a real pain, and it’s not something anyone wants to go through or let stop them from experiencing the world.
There are treatments for vertigo, though, and though they can take some time, it’s your only shot at reducing the risk of having vertigo while surfing.
But rest assured that surfing will not give you vertigo where you didn’t have it to begin with.
