When a person with a fear of heights, also known as acrophobia, is in a situation that triggers their condition, they may experience vertigo: a spinning sensation or feeling of dizziness. For this reason, some people think that the terms “acrophobia” and “vertigo” can be used interchangeably. But is a fear of heights the same as vertigo?
In this article, we’ll explore the links between acrophobia and vertigo, including their respective causes and symptoms, and judge whether they are the same. Let’s get started!
Table of contents
- What is acrophobia?
- What is vertigo?
- How are acrophobia and vertigo linked?
- Is acrophobia the same as vertigo?
- Getting help for acrophobia and vertigo
What is acrophobia?
Acrophobia refers to an intense fear of heights. It is a specific phobia, which is an “irrational fear of a particular situation or object that poses little or no actual danger” according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Individuals with this phobia, also known as acrophobes, will feel an intense level of anxiety when facing scenarios related to heights, such as:
- Standing at a window of a tall building
- Walking up flights of stairs
- Climbing a ladder
- Driving over a bridge
- Using an escalator
- Being on a roller coaster
Symptoms of acrophobia
When an acrophobe encounters the object of their fear, the symptoms they experience can range from mild to debilitating. This may include:
- Emotional symptoms, such as panic, distress, anger and confusion
- Physical symptoms, such as dizziness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and intense sweating
- Avoidant behaviour, such as not watching films that involve climbing, or not taking a job that involves working in a high-rise building
The severity of these symptoms will vary from person to person. Some acrophobes will experience only a few mildly inconvenient symptoms that are manageable, whereas others will be completely overwhelmed.
Causes of acrophobia
Specific phobias, like a fear of heights, tend to develop during childhood or adolescence. However, the root cause of acrophobia can be difficult to pin down.
- It can develop in response to a traumatic event involving heights, such as falling from a high place or seeing someone else fall from a high place.
- It might be rooted in an evolutionary survival mechanism that predisposes us to use caution in situations that could be dangerous to us.
- You may learn to fear heights from watching the behaviour of your friends or family as a child.
- Evidence suggests there is a connection between a fear of heights and genetics.
What is vertigo?
Vertigo is a sensation that makes people feel as though they’re moving or spinning even when still, or it can make it seem as though their surroundings are in motion. It can affect your balance, make walking difficult, or even cause you to fall over.
Though some people will describe vertigo as simple dizziness, it is far more complex. Vertigo is a subcategory of dizziness, of which there are four in total:
- Presyncope: feeling like you are about to faint or lose consciousness
- Disequilibrium: feeling off-balance and unsteady
- Vertigo: feeling like you, or your environment, are spinning
- Non-specific dizziness: feeling disoriented or like you’re having an “out of body” experience
Vertigo can affect men and women at any age but is two to three times more common in women than men.
Symptoms of vertigo
Vertigo can severely affect your sense of balance, direction and general coordination. The severity and duration of these episodes can vary from person to person. You might experience a spinning sensation for a few seconds or find yourself wholly unbalanced and unable to walk for several hours.
Common symptoms include:
- Dizziness
- Loss of balance and coordination
- Feeling disoriented
- Difficulty standing
Other symptoms can accompany vertigo, depending on the root cause, such as:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Sweating
- Hearing loss
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- Ear pain
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Abnormal eye movements
Causes of vertigo
There are two types of vertigo: peripheral vertigo and central vertigo.
Peripheral vertigo is the most common type, accounting for over 90% of all causes of vertigo. It is triggered by problems with the inner ear that affect the labyrinth or vestibular nerve.
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: BPPV is the most common cause of peripheral vertigo and is triggered by changes in your head position (like rolling over in bed or sitting up suddenly). This causes calcium carbonate crystals in the inner ear to break off and send false signals to your brain that make you feel like you’re spinning.
- Labyrinthitis: the labyrinth is the innermost part of the ear and contains the cochlea and vestibular system, which are both responsible for relaying sound to the brain and your sense of balance. When infected, it can cause headaches, unsteadiness, vertigo, ear pain, vision problems, tinnitus and even hearing loss.
- Vestibular neuritis (or neuronitis): the vestibular nerve runs through the inner ear and sends messages to the brain that controls balance. When inflamed, it can cause similar symptoms to labyrinthitis, such as vertigo, nausea and blurred vision, though it does not affect hearing.
- Ménière’s disease: this condition is thought to be the result of a build-up of fluid in the inner ear. This increased fluid pressure can lead to recurring episodes of vertigo, nausea, vomiting, hearing loss, tinnitus and a feeling of fullness in the ear (aural fullness).
Vertigo that stems from issues with your brain, typically in the cerebellum or brainstem, is called central vertigo. It is rarer than peripheral vertigo and is generally accompanied by neurological deficits like slurred speech and double vision.
There are a high number of conditions that can affect the central nervous system (CNS) and result in central vertigo, such as:
- Migraines
- Tumours (cancerous and noncancerous)
- Cervical spine disorders
- Seizures
- Stroke
- Head injury
- Lateral medullary syndrome
- Chiari malformation
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
How are acrophobia and vertigo linked?
The confusion between acrophobia and vertigo stems from the fact that the two can interact.
When looking down from a high place or gazing up at a tall building, people with and without acrophobia can experience what’s known as “height vertigo”. This is caused by a conflict between our eyes and brain. When we can’t accurately determine the ground’s position or point out concrete spatial reference points, it can cause dizziness and disorientation.
When someone’s only experience of vertigo occurs in the presence of extreme heights, it’s easy to see why they would assume that a fear of heights and vertigo are the same.
Is acrophobia the same as vertigo?
A fear of heights is not the same as vertigo. Acrophobia is a condition that can trigger a variety of emotional, physical and psychological symptoms. Vertigo, however, is simply a symptom that can be triggered by a wide range of conditions, with acrophobia being just one potential root cause.
You can have acrophobia without experiencing vertigo, and you can experience vertigo without having acrophobia. Though there can be overlap, they are not the same thing. It’s also worth remembering that acrophobia can cause dizziness, but that this is not necessarily the same thing as vertigo.
Getting help for acrophobia and vertigo
If a fear of heights, or height vertigo*, is starting to affect your daily life, it’s time to get the help you need. Climb Above Fear has a range of experienced therapists who can give you the treatment you need to face your fear of heights and take control of your life!
To take the first step towards conquering your fears, fill out our consultation form, and we’ll match you up with one of our specialists who will recommend the best course of action for you.
