What causes dizziness after a concussion?
Short answer
Post-concussion dizziness usually reflects a combination of vestibular, oculomotor, cervical, and autonomic contributions rather than a single cause.
More detail
The vestibular system, the visual system, and cervical sensory input all feed into the brain's sense of position and motion. A concussion can disrupt any of these individually or together, producing dizziness, motion intolerance, and unsteadiness.
Autonomic dysregulation — trouble managing blood pressure, heart rate, and blood flow with position changes — is also common after concussion and can present as light-headedness with standing or with sustained activity.
Common symptoms or examples
- Spinning sensations with head movement
- Unsteadiness in busy visual environments
- Light-headedness with standing
- Motion sensitivity in cars
- Difficulty focusing eyes between distances
When evaluation may be appropriate
Persistent dizziness after concussion should be evaluated across the vestibular, oculomotor, cervical, and autonomic systems so treatment targets the correct driver.
This information is educational and general in nature. It is not a diagnosis or a treatment plan, and it does not describe every possible cause of a symptom. Individual evaluation is required to determine what applies to any specific case.
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