Vertigo, a sensation of spinning or feeling like the world is moving, can affect swimmers. While often brief, this disorienting feeling can sometimes be intense. Understanding how swimming interacts with the body’s balance system helps clarify why this phenomenon occurs. Various factors specific to the aquatic environment and bodily responses contribute to swimming-related vertigo.
How Swimming Affects Balance
The body maintains balance through a system involving the inner ear, eyes, and sensory input from muscles and joints. The inner ear’s vestibular system plays a central role. It contains semicircular canals filled with fluid and tiny hair cells that detect rotational head movements. Otolith organs sense linear movements and gravity. Signals from these structures are sent to the brain, which then coordinates balance.
The aquatic environment can influence this balance system. Water distorts visual cues and alters proprioceptive feedback (the body’s sense of its position in space). This places a greater reliance on the vestibular system to interpret spatial orientation. Disruptions, such as rapid head movements or temperature changes in the ear, can create conflicting signals or directly stimulate the inner ear, leading to vertigo.
Specific Causes of Swimming-Related Vertigo
Several specific conditions and factors can trigger vertigo during or after swimming. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is a common cause. Rapid head movements, like those in freestyle swimming, can dislodge tiny calcium carbonate crystals (otoconia) from their usual position in the inner ear. These displaced crystals then drift into the semicircular canals, sending erroneous signals to the brain and causing brief, intense spinning sensations.
Caloric stimulation occurs when there’s a significant temperature difference between water entering one ear canal and the body’s temperature. Cold water entering one ear can create a convective current in the inner ear fluid, leading to an imbalance in vestibular signals and temporary vertigo. This effect is particularly pronounced if only one ear is exposed to the temperature change or if an eardrum is perforated.
Ear infections, such as swimmer’s ear (otitis externa) or middle ear infections, can induce vertigo. Swimmer’s ear, an infection of the outer ear canal, can cause inflammation and swelling that affects nearby balance structures. Middle ear infections can lead to pressure changes that impact the inner ear’s function, resulting in vertigo.
Pressure changes during diving or rapid depth changes can trigger vertigo. This is often referred to as alternobaric vertigo, occurring when there’s an unequal pressure balance between the middle ears, sending confusing signals to the brain’s balance centers. Hyperventilation from intense swimming or dehydration can indirectly affect balance by altering blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain and inner ear, contributing to vertigo.
Preventing and Managing Vertigo While Swimming
To minimize the likelihood of experiencing vertigo while swimming, several practical strategies can be employed. Using earplugs can prevent water from entering the ear canal, reducing the risk of caloric stimulation and ear infections. When entering cold water, a gradual approach allows the body, including the inner ear, to acclimate to the temperature change.
Avoiding sudden head movements, especially during strokes like freestyle that involve frequent head rotation for breathing, can help prevent the dislodgement of inner ear crystals. Staying well-hydrated before, during, and after swimming is important, as dehydration can contribute to dizziness. Avoid swimming when feeling unwell or if an active ear infection is present, as these conditions can heighten the risk of vertigo. Should vertigo occur while in the water, remain calm, hold onto the side of the pool, or float on your back until the sensation subsides.
When to Seek Medical Advice
While swimming-related vertigo is often temporary and resolves on its own, certain symptoms warrant a medical evaluation. Consult a healthcare professional if vertigo symptoms are persistent, worsen over time, or recur frequently. Medical attention is also recommended if vertigo is accompanied by other concerning neurological symptoms.
These accompanying symptoms might include:
- Changes in vision (e.g., double vision)
- Weakness or numbness in limbs
- Difficulty speaking
- Severe headache
- Hearing changes (e.g., sudden hearing loss, ringing in ears)
- Severe nausea and vomiting
A medical assessment is important to rule out underlying conditions. A doctor can help determine the exact cause and recommend appropriate treatment.