Sports Medicine Specialist Questions Dizziness

I feel dizzy while swimming. What could be the reason?

I am a swimmer, but lately I have been feeling a little dizzy while swimming. What could be the reason? Read this article to learn more.

5 Answers

You SHOULD see a doctor about it.
Being dizzy depends on a lot of variables. Depends on your age. It depends on your training specifics. If this is a constant problem then I would make sure that I check with my primary care to make sure there’s no other issues going on.
There are a lot of potential sources of dizziness - dehydration, poor nutrition, anemia, heart issues. I'd see your primary care doctor ASAP to address your dizziness.
You could be suffering from vestibular dysfunction or inner ear dysfunction, which can happen with swimming sometimes.
Inside the ear, and more specifically the middle ear exist the semicircular ducts or canals. These are fluid filled structures that assist and allow us to maintain balance. When we move our heads, the head and ducts move but the fluid remains still in the ducts. Small hairlike structures within this system are then deflected which sends signals to the brain that we are moving and depending on the duct stimulated, we know if we are leaning left or right, turning left or right or going up or down.

If you spin one direction for several seconds, the fluid in the canals “catches up” and when we stop spinning the ducts stop but the fluid keeps going and deflects those hairlike structures giving us the sensation that we are spinning or are “dizzy”. You’ve probably spun around a baseball bat with your forehead on the knob of the bat and then tried walking or running and you lean to one side and often times fall down.

So, if we can get the fluid moving in the ducts or canals then we can feel dizzy. A test in the clinic for these ducts is called the “caloric reflex test” where clinicians can gently squirt cold water into the ear and this will cool the fluid in the ducts and as you know, heat rises so the warm fluid “moves” to the top of the canal and cooler fluid to the bottom which is creating fluid motion which then deflects those hairlike structures and the sensation is that you’re spinning or “dizzy”.

When you are swimming, either you’re head is rotating to one side so as to breathe which can get the fluid moving or you are experiencing one big “caloric reflex test” or a combination of both.

What to do? Trying alternating your breathing to both sides and maybe try some ear plugs so the pool water temperature won’t influence your semicircular duct fluid so much.

Good Luck!!