Pregnancy comes along with many emotional highs and lows. You have the immense joy of knowing that your new baby is forming inside of you. There are also negative experiences, such as morning sickness. Many also experience dizziness in pregnancy or even vertigo. How can you cope when experiencing vertigo in pregnancy? Here are five things that you need to know.  

#1 Is It Really Vertigo?

The first thing you need to know is whether or not you are actually experiencing vertigo. This is especially true if you decide to go to a doctor since most physicians will make the distinction between general dizziness and vertigo as a specific symptom. Here are a few things to watch out for:

• Are you experiencing false sensations of movement? While the feeling that the room is spinning is the most common form of vertigo, things may also seem to sway (as if you were on a boat) or tilt (as though the ground was coming up toward you).
• Are the bouts gone within a few seconds or minutes? Unless there is a particular medical condition causing vertigo (such as Meniere’s disease), attacks should rarely be longer than a few minutes. 
• Do you get nauseous? Vertigo can often cause nausea and sometimes even vomiting. Of course, if it happens in the morning, you may have trouble telling the difference from your morning sickness. 

#2 Why Vertigo and Pregnancy Go Hand in Hand 

There are many factors that come into play during pregnancy regarding vertigo. For one thing, many women experience blood pressure changes while pregnant. This can be a vertigo trigger as can fluctuations in hormone levels. Blood flow also plays a crucial role in vertigo. You need to get sufficient blood to your head in order to avoid symptoms like this, and pregnancy tends to slow down blood flow. 

Pregnancy also leads to weight gain as your baby grows inside of you and you work to feed it. Constrictive clothing can inhibit proper blood flow and further contribute to the issue. Finally, shifts in your center of gravity that are associated with pregnancy can affect your spine health, and this too can lead to vertigo and other issues. 

#3 What Are the Main Vertigo Triggers 

There are several things that can trigger vertigo in pregnancy. A few of the more common triggers include:

• Getting up too quickly. This is especially true if your vertigo is related to blood pressure. The body takes time to adjust blood pressure as you stand. When you need to go from laying down to standing up, sit up first and wait a few seconds before getting up.
• Sudden head movements. This is another common trigger, especially if your vertigo is related to your neck or ears. In this case, vertigo should pass quickly, so just be sure to sit down or hold onto something to steady yourself until the feeling passes. Be especially careful when bending over.
• Stress. This may be the number one trigger for vertigo. Stress releases a flood of hormones that can have a powerful effect on the body. Vertigo is just one of the many symptoms stress can trigger.

#4 Prevention Tips for Dizziness in Pregnancy 

Here are a few things that you can do to try and prevent dizziness or vertigo from striking during pregnancy.

• Put your feet up – Elevating your feet will increase the amount of blood that reaches your head.
• Use compression stockings – This can help to improve your lower body’s blood flow.
• Try laying on your side instead of on your back
• Eat meals closer together – This will help to ensure that your dizziness is not related to low blood sugar.
• Drink more water – Vertigo is an early warning signal for dehydration.
• Avoid long, hot showers or baths, especially if you find your vertigo is worse right afterward.
• Get some light exercise – Exercise is vital for blood flow.
• Find some stress relief – Whether you take up a relaxing hobby or spend some time meditating on positive things, be sure that you have coping mechanisms for stress. 

#5 Try Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care to Help Vertigo in Pregnancy 

If you haven’t tried this chiropractic subspecialty to help you cope with vertigo, then we want to take a few moments to explain what it is and how it can help. Upper cervical chiropractors focus on the top two bones in the neck. Exact measurements are taken to offer a precise and gentle adjustment that is tailored to each individual patient. It is safe and effective for getting the top bones of the neck back into proper alignment.

Not only can this have benefits for the entire back, but it may also help with vertigo. Why? The reason is that the cervical spine facilitates blood flow to the head. Therefore, even the slightest misalignment can affect how much blood and oxygen is reaching the brain. Correcting this blood flow inhibitor can impact blood flow, blood pressure, and many other factors that may lead to vertigo.

If you are experiencing vertigo in pregnancy, we encourage you to seek out the assistance of an upper cervical chiropractor. You can use the search feature on this site to find a practice in your area. A no-obligation consultation may be your first step down the path to getting the help you need for vertigo.

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