Christmas Lights and Dizziness

Some individuals have told me they become dizzy looking at christmas lights...especially in stores.  Why does this happen?  I think it depends on the individual.  Here are a few possible reasons.

1. For people who have a predisoposition toward visual dependence and/or motion sickness, they tend to rely more on their eyes for balance.  For these individuals, they may be light sensitive.  Seeing several different lights at different depths can confuse the brain because their is not a consistent pattern.  This can cause a sense of dizziness.
2. For people with vestibular problems, looking at lights at varying levels (depths, heights) can cause the brain not to be able to focus the eyes as well.  When this occurs, if an individual has a vestibular dysfunction, nystagmus can occur.  When nystagmus occurs we usually become dizzy. (spinning, off balance and/or a sense that things are moving, etc).

What do individuals battling Migraines, Fibromyalgia and Motion Sickness

all have in common?  I have noticed that these problems all involve a tendency toward hypersensitivity.  Many clients with these problems also report being hypersensitive to light, movement, sound and touch.  It is as if their sympathetic nervous systems are overpowering their parasympathetic nervous systems and causing them to be in a constant state of fight or flight.

A highly sensitive person

may have minimal nystagmus, but perceive intense spinning.  I am fascinated by the variation in the way people perceive nystagmus.  I have seen some individuals with minimal nystagmus have a very intense response and report of dizziness while other individuals who have highly intense nystagmus have a minimal response.  In most individuals, the characteristics of their nystagmus matches their subjective complaints.   I have also noted that the highly sensitive person may tend to battle Migraines, Motion Sickness and Fibromyalgia.

Here is a great website that shares more details regarding the highly sensitive person:
http://www.hsperson.com/

There is also a self test on this site the individual can take.