Aa
Feel dizzy and unbalanced while driving on the highways
I am 44 years old and being driving for years but unfortunately, for couple of years I started to feel dizzy and unbalanced while driving on the highways for long time at a speed higher than 90 km/h (55 ml/h) specially at night. It starts by feeling flashes at my head and then the difficulty starts. This problem does not occur while driving in the city. I visited the EN&T doctor sometimes ago and he said I do not have an inner ear infection. I visited eye doctor and no problem too. Then I thought of it as driving phobia and started to take anti depressant drug but unfortunately, the problem still. This issue is irritating me and I do not know what to do?!!!
I’ve had dizziness while highway driving for many years. I feel I was CURED today! I found articles and YouTube videos concerning Bifocal Vision Disorder. I finally got to see an eye specialist today and she ran a bunch of tests.
My current cure is: “Trial of binasal occlusion to decrease fusion demand of overlapped nasal fields.” This was done by applying two small pieces of tape to my eye glasses. For the first time in YEARS I was able to drive 60mph for miles with NO problems!
She also ordered me “prism glasses to decrease fusion demand of reduced divergence range”. I should have these glasses within 2 weeks.
My current cure is: “Trial of binasal occlusion to decrease fusion demand of overlapped nasal fields.” This was done by applying two small pieces of tape to my eye glasses. For the first time in YEARS I was able to drive 60mph for miles with NO problems!
She also ordered me “prism glasses to decrease fusion demand of reduced divergence range”. I should have these glasses within 2 weeks.
Mate I understand exactly the symptoms and issues your experiencing what is your email I can reply to you
Hello, I'm a 31 year old male and have been experiencing all of the systems described above for the last 6 years. It has gotten to the point where it is extremely debilitating my work and social life. The roads I can drive without stress are few and far between. Driving on the highway has been eliminated for fear of panic attacks. The last time I tried I ended up hyperventilating on a bridge overpass. It used be just think the issue was on highways but now driving on long roads with new visual cues also is a problem. Also driving at night is when it gets pretty bad too.
I've gone to an ENT and neurologist doctor and they say nothing is wrong and that I should lose weight. I was 6'3" 328lbs when it started. I'm now 286lbs. The symptoms are still there. I want to get an MRI and see if there is anything underlying that might be an issue. Any other sessions would be much appreciated.
I've gone to an ENT and neurologist doctor and they say nothing is wrong and that I should lose weight. I was 6'3" 328lbs when it started. I'm now 286lbs. The symptoms are still there. I want to get an MRI and see if there is anything underlying that might be an issue. Any other sessions would be much appreciated.
2 Comments
Glad to know I'm not alone. I'm 42 F, I live in a rural area and there are times when I need to drive 30 miles to go shopping. As Im driving, the back of my head starts tingling in a bad way and I try to adjust the seat, then my eyes start giving me problems. There starts an impending doom and I start breathing from my stomach, but always questioning if I am breathing right.
This happens the whole entire time until I get to the grocery store.
what I have found helps me is looking from side to side while driving and looking down at the speedometer
then looking in the rear view mirror. the constant shifting in eyes helps. its very similar to the exercise to inner ear disorders.
This happens the whole entire time until I get to the grocery store.
what I have found helps me is looking from side to side while driving and looking down at the speedometer
then looking in the rear view mirror. the constant shifting in eyes helps. its very similar to the exercise to inner ear disorders.
Glad to know I'm not alone. I'm 42 F, I live in a rural area and there are times when I need to drive 30 miles to go shopping. As Im driving, the back of my head starts tingling in a bad way and I try to adjust the seat, then my eyes start giving me problems. There starts an impending doom and I start breathing from my stomach, but always questioning if I am breathing right.
This happens the whole entire time until I get to the grocery store.
what I have found helps me is looking from side to side while driving and looking down at the speedometer
then looking in the rear view mirror. the constant shifting in eyes helps. its very similar to the exercise to inner ear disorders.
This happens the whole entire time until I get to the grocery store.
what I have found helps me is looking from side to side while driving and looking down at the speedometer
then looking in the rear view mirror. the constant shifting in eyes helps. its very similar to the exercise to inner ear disorders.
The symptoms described here may have different root causes but here is my story about conquering my debilitating condition.
I had the familiar symptoms while driving a car: at high speeds on highways I could not go through a curve without feeling I was losing control (tipping over), and felt uncertain on wide open roads. What was worse for me was that it affected my road cycling. It started with no longer being able to go through a curve without braking. Then I could no longer ride (fast) on wide open roads. In the end I had to get off the bike for fear of falling over. I almost got myself hit by cars because I started to swerve to avoid falling over.
I was always OK at slow speeds and on narrow bike paths or roads with trees or tall grass or corn fields alongside. So I reasoned that as long as my eyes were getting cues about orientation I was OK. Being on a bike and in the Netherlands with 1000s of miles of dedicated bike paths with no cars around me allowed me to experiment. I started to consciously look for queues. Though that helped in the very moment, after a few weeks it made my symptoms much worse. So much worse that I was afraid I had to give up cycling forever. I was a danger to myself and others.
I read more about "motorist vestibular disorientation syndrome" and decided to try the opposite: on long, straight and deserted bike paths I would ride while staring at the road under my bike. This way my eyes were not getting any orientation cues (riding blindfolded was not really an option :-) ) This was unnerving at first and I could only do it for a few seconds. But I kept at it day after day (regularly looking up of course to make sure there wasn't any oncoming bike traffic!). And it got better. And I noticed my symptoms would occur less frequently. It wasn't like it was slowly improving, but the symptoms would turn on and turn off, sometimes within a single ride. Either I was OK and could take a curve at 20mph or I was not. That was unnerving because going in to a curve I never knew if it would hit me halfway in.
Also I was able to ride wide open roads again, with only the occasional scare.
The first time my symptoms improved I stopped my "experiment". I biked happily for a month or so, but then the symptoms came back. So whenever in a safe environment I would continue to ride "blind". And after several months I was totally cured! I've stopped my "experiment" and the symptoms have not recurred for the past half year.
I don't know the root cause of this condition, but I think I know what happens when you have these symptoms. When standing still or going slow, your brain uses the inputs from your inner ear (vestibular organ) to orient itself. This has never been a problem for me. I'm not dizzy or unstable while walking and I can stand still with my eyes closed.
When you move faster, your brain integrates the signals from your vestibular organ with the signals from your eyes.
This is some non-linear process that weighs both inputs. At slow speeds it gives more weight to the vestibular signal but as speed increases it relies more on the visual cues. This is OK until you go at a high speed without any visual cues: highways, wide open roads. Somehow this mechanism has gone awry. At high speed your brain ONLY uses the visual inputs and completely ignores the vestibular. By "riding blind" I forced my brain to re-calibrate the algorithm. And it worked! I am enjoying going in to highway curves at speed again - and riding my bike!
From the initial recognition of my symptoms it took me about 2-1/2 years to begin my experiment and about 4-6 months to become symptom free. Though not everyone has the luxury of dutch bike paths I hope sharing my experience will help others conquer this issue.
I had the familiar symptoms while driving a car: at high speeds on highways I could not go through a curve without feeling I was losing control (tipping over), and felt uncertain on wide open roads. What was worse for me was that it affected my road cycling. It started with no longer being able to go through a curve without braking. Then I could no longer ride (fast) on wide open roads. In the end I had to get off the bike for fear of falling over. I almost got myself hit by cars because I started to swerve to avoid falling over.
I was always OK at slow speeds and on narrow bike paths or roads with trees or tall grass or corn fields alongside. So I reasoned that as long as my eyes were getting cues about orientation I was OK. Being on a bike and in the Netherlands with 1000s of miles of dedicated bike paths with no cars around me allowed me to experiment. I started to consciously look for queues. Though that helped in the very moment, after a few weeks it made my symptoms much worse. So much worse that I was afraid I had to give up cycling forever. I was a danger to myself and others.
I read more about "motorist vestibular disorientation syndrome" and decided to try the opposite: on long, straight and deserted bike paths I would ride while staring at the road under my bike. This way my eyes were not getting any orientation cues (riding blindfolded was not really an option :-) ) This was unnerving at first and I could only do it for a few seconds. But I kept at it day after day (regularly looking up of course to make sure there wasn't any oncoming bike traffic!). And it got better. And I noticed my symptoms would occur less frequently. It wasn't like it was slowly improving, but the symptoms would turn on and turn off, sometimes within a single ride. Either I was OK and could take a curve at 20mph or I was not. That was unnerving because going in to a curve I never knew if it would hit me halfway in.
Also I was able to ride wide open roads again, with only the occasional scare.
The first time my symptoms improved I stopped my "experiment". I biked happily for a month or so, but then the symptoms came back. So whenever in a safe environment I would continue to ride "blind". And after several months I was totally cured! I've stopped my "experiment" and the symptoms have not recurred for the past half year.
I don't know the root cause of this condition, but I think I know what happens when you have these symptoms. When standing still or going slow, your brain uses the inputs from your inner ear (vestibular organ) to orient itself. This has never been a problem for me. I'm not dizzy or unstable while walking and I can stand still with my eyes closed.
When you move faster, your brain integrates the signals from your vestibular organ with the signals from your eyes.
This is some non-linear process that weighs both inputs. At slow speeds it gives more weight to the vestibular signal but as speed increases it relies more on the visual cues. This is OK until you go at a high speed without any visual cues: highways, wide open roads. Somehow this mechanism has gone awry. At high speed your brain ONLY uses the visual inputs and completely ignores the vestibular. By "riding blind" I forced my brain to re-calibrate the algorithm. And it worked! I am enjoying going in to highway curves at speed again - and riding my bike!
From the initial recognition of my symptoms it took me about 2-1/2 years to begin my experiment and about 4-6 months to become symptom free. Though not everyone has the luxury of dutch bike paths I hope sharing my experience will help others conquer this issue.
4 Comments
Thanks MVDS for sharing your experiences with us. I think this issue is too complicated, especially for those who driving cars. It is also too dangerous. Since one mistake may results in a catastrophic accident. We need to be so careful.
Wishing you all safe driving and happy life.
Adnan
Wishing you all safe driving and happy life.
Adnan
Fascinating! Your symptoms exactly match mine. I’ll try this myself, on my bike and see what happens...thanks for posting!
lucienne139, thanks for making the effort to leave a note. Since you found this post you must be as frustrated as I was searching for a solution. I am still symptom free and enjoying bike riding (and car driving) again. I hope this will help you too and would really appreciate an update in a few months - it is going to take time.
And stay safe!!!!!
And stay safe!!!!!
Wow you hit it on the nose although its while I'm driving. I've actually experimented the way you did not knowing I was experimenting. Just doing whatever worked in the meantime so I wouldnt have to drive on service road all my life. I can now drive in the fast lane on familiar highways. Unfamiliar highways I dont even bother....
I had the same problem couple of yeas ago. I saw eyes doctor and ORL but nothing was wrong with my health conditions. Through my brother I noticed that the fact I was spending almost 8 hours in front of my computer and drove just after without taking any break time was the reason of my unbalanced driving in cities or on highways. Since I have been spending less time on my computer I am ok and can drive from MD to Toronto C.A without any fear.
1 Comments
Great to hear that your MD condition has improved.
How older are you?
How older are you?
so just an update from oct 2017. I got back the same problems again after i stopped going to the gym. Im not sure if its gym related or not. I have alot of stress at my work and at my home.
I feel loosing balance when driving over 100km/h . I canmot drive on highways as much, i take inner roads and it is killing me.
My ears now have pressure every now and then. no ear infection either. I dont drink. The only medication im on is lipitor. Is anyone else on lipitor here ?
Does anyone else experencing this have high stress workload? Do you have ear infection?
I feel loosing balance when driving over 100km/h . I canmot drive on highways as much, i take inner roads and it is killing me.
My ears now have pressure every now and then. no ear infection either. I dont drink. The only medication im on is lipitor. Is anyone else on lipitor here ?
Does anyone else experencing this have high stress workload? Do you have ear infection?
1 Comments
Hi
I am returning after many years to reply back. I figured out what my problem was. It was a infection in my stomach which was causing issues. I did some round of antibiotics such as rifaxamin and metronidazole . I was also low on b12 , b1, vitamin D . I had to pay out of pocket to naturopath to do private blood work , breath and stool test. I am feeling much better. Make sure you use a biofilm buster when doing the antibiotics.
I am returning after many years to reply back. I figured out what my problem was. It was a infection in my stomach which was causing issues. I did some round of antibiotics such as rifaxamin and metronidazole . I was also low on b12 , b1, vitamin D . I had to pay out of pocket to naturopath to do private blood work , breath and stool test. I am feeling much better. Make sure you use a biofilm buster when doing the antibiotics.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Neurology Community
Top Neurology Answerers
Allentown, PA
ON
Queensland, Australia
Queen Creek, AZ
Find out how beta-blocker eye drops show promising results for acute migraine relief.
In this special Missouri Medicine report, doctors examine advances in diagnosis and treatment of this devastating and costly neurodegenerative disease.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Discover some of the causes of dizziness and how to treat it.
Discover the common causes of headaches and how to treat headache pain.
Two of the largest studies on Alzheimer’s have yielded new clues about the disease
