Dizziness and Multiple Sclerosis

Being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) is enough to make your head spin. The amount of information available regarding MS and its symptoms is downright dizzying. But MS doesn’t just figuratively turn your world topsy-turvy, it can literally make things unsteady and disorienting.

Dizziness is a common symptom that affects approximately 20 to 30 percent of people in the general population. The term dizziness is a bit vague, but it basically means a feeling of disequilibrium. One particular subtype of dizziness that can affect people with MS is vertigo — a sensation that you or the world around you is spinning or balanced on a tilted axis.

Central vertigo, caused by disease of or damage to the central nervous system, is responsible for almost one-fourth of cases of dizziness reported by all patients. The most common central causes of dizziness and vertigo are cerebrovascular disorders related to blood circulation in the brain, migraine, multiple sclerosis, tumors in the brain stem or cerebellum, neurodegenerative disorders, some medications, and psychiatric disorders.

Dizziness in MS may be caused by nystagmus, eye movement disorders, vestibular problems, or lesions on certain parts of the brain or cranial nerves. According to a 2013 study published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, dizziness affects more than 70 percent of people with MS. Prior studies suggested that dizziness affects 49 to 59 percent of people with MS.

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What Can Cause Dizziness in MS?