Level 1

3 points

Feeling dizzy or nausea after using iPad

Is it just me or someone else also feels dizzy or nausea after using iPad for a while?

I guess it might have to do with the scrolling effect, especially in Safari. I don't know what is the term to describe the cool effect of speeding up at the beginning and the slowing down at the end of a scrolling move, which simulates the movement of a physical object. It is ok on a smaller screen (on iPhone). But on the bigger screen (on iPad), I feel like the whole world is moving in front of me. I simply wish there is just a page up or page down button.

Am I alone?

ipad, iPhone OS 3.1.3

Posted on Apr 13, 2010 8:42 PM

248 replies

ng2007

Level 1

0 points

Jun 16, 2010 8:36 AM in response to YuanLin

2 possible reasons…

First You may be getting motion sickness or in this case simulator sickness This is caused by a disagreement in your brain between what your eyes see and what your inner ear reports.
Remember the inner ear is responsible for balance. So the easy flow of the scroll is tricking your balance center into thinking that you are moving when you are not.

One theory about motion/simulator sickness posits that it occurs because the area postrema portion of the brain associates the visual/balance discrepancy with hallucination.
Your body associates seeing things that are not real with poison in the body and it wants to purge that. So you feel sick.

One way to help is to try sitting farther away from the screen so that it doesn't fill your field of vision. Also, experience often helps you get over it.
You essentially condition your sensory centers to accept the visual input as "not harmful"

white paper on simulator sickness

http://www.hitl.washington.edu/publications/r-96-3/

Second possibility…
You can also get the same feeling using an iphone or any wireless device.
There is some studies out that show that a percentage of individuals in the world are sensitive to either cell phones or wireless devices and in some cases wired devices.
The current culprit seems to be EMF (Electro Magnetic Frequency) sensitivity.

EMF's are energy waves with frequencies below 300 hertz or cycles per second. The electromagnetic fields we encounter daily come from every day things such as power lines, radar and microwave towers, television and computer screens, motors, fluorescent lights, microwave ovens, cell phones, electric blankets, house wiring and hundreds of other common electrical devices.

Some individuals show a higher sensitivity to these waves and can complain of headaches, dizziness nausea etc. While other people are not effected at all.

The World Health organization has a page that discusses the theories and studies around this phenomenon

http://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index1.html

I have problems with cell phones and inner ear vestibular dizziness for awhile. Thank goodness for iphones included earbud/microphone which cuts down on this dramatically.

Jun 16, 2010 9:03 AM in response to ng2007

No sickness here. I probably used it 10 hours on launch day. I would like to be able to turn brightness down even farther than the limit, but I'm good.

Other's have mentioned playing games... back in the old days, when I first got my N64, I played Turok. After 15 minutes I had a headache, after 30 I wanted to puke. Needless to say, I hated first-person shooters about 7 years, until the Xbox, when I didn't experience those problems anymore.

Try not to look at the iPad in total darkness. Put on soft lighting in the room so your eyes are not just fixed on that light source, but have some ambient light to adjust to.

Bryan

Jun 17, 2010 7:49 AM in response to YuanLin

Well, I just spent an hour or so playing Pinball HD in 3D mode using 3D glasses with the tilt and following motion enabled. I gotta tell you I could hardly stand up! I had to wait a few minutes for the room to stop spinning and tilting!

I don't think it is any fault of the iPad. It is a fact with these types of portable devices but when you add a tendency for vertigo to the mix, you might just have a problem.

I think I'll take a Gravol before I try Pinball HD again.

Dec 29, 2010 9:27 PM in response to acadiashores

Have you actually been using your ipad for 4 hours? While I have not felt sick after using it that long, I can see how some people might. I have played games and read books for about 3-4 hours straight and when I tried looking up (get off the couch), I could not focus on anything. That in of itself could make a person nauseous.

Try looking up and focusing on something different for a minute or two. Get up and take a walk or do something else.

Tamara

Level 6

13,744 points

Dec 30, 2010 4:57 AM in response to dogtrainer

dogtrainer wrote:
Have you actually been using your ipad for 4 hours? While I have not felt sick after using it that long, I can see how some people might. I have played games and read books for about 3-4 hours straight and when I tried looking up (get off the couch), I could not focus on anything. That in of itself could make a person nauseous.

This can happen even if you're reading a regular book or doing any sort of close up work for an extended period.

Mar 29, 2011 7:22 AM in response to YuanLin

The problem here is the effect when we turn the page on the ipad. On a regular pc when you change to a different page it changes instantly, on the ipad there is a small animation effect, like a balancing effect, and i am not talking about the effect that emulates the turning of a page in a real book. This animation is the problem. In certain people, with some issues in their internal ear, could be more prone to this, but it can happen to anyone. The solution would be to give the option to eliminate this effect on future iOS versions.

Mar 29, 2011 12:25 PM in response to YuanLin

Whoa! I just found this site&question...and just today finished series of tests...echocardiogram,brainscan, ultrasound on carotid artery,..the works...to diagnose dizziness, and even one fainting episode..since Xmas. Guess what I got for Christmas...iPad...and check my "handle". No results yet, but I think I just got a clue. Costly, but I think I may be happier soon. Thanks folks. Stay tuned!

gwforeman

Level 2

422 points

Mar 30, 2011 5:02 AM in response to YuanLin

You are certainly not alone. I could never play the game Doom. 5 Minutes and I'm sick. I have a Pilots license, and have even done aerobatics in small planes, and I have never had a problem. But put me in an iMax theater, and I' walk out staggering.

My Eye Dr. told me it might be something to do with my ears also, but I think it is all visual.

I haven't noticed any issues with the iPad, but I stay away from first person shoot-em-up games.

Mar 30, 2011 9:15 AM in response to YuanLin

I used to have a similar problem in grammer school when reading for a while. Used to get dizzy, tunnel vision etc only I didn't know what that was at the time, just that I wasn't "feeling good" and lost track of the lesson. Teachers actually thought I had ADHD or something. Took about 2 years before I finally got dragged to an eye Dr. to find out I had a slight difference in eyesight between my two eyes and the difference was causing it. A simple very minor eyeglass prescription fixed all the issues.
Not saying this is anyone's cause but even if you don't think you "need glasses", you may find that a pr of glasses with very minor correction could fix the problem.

Umai

Level 1

0 points

Apr 12, 2011 10:12 PM in response to YuanLin

Happening big time to me too, unfortunately. Just got iPad II last week and I've felt dizzy and sick every time I've used it - haven't felt this motion sick since viewing Avatar in 3D. No prob with my iPhone. Would be great if Apple did insert some options to help the folks like us (minimize the sweep, lock the pivot, etc.).

Well, won't go to waste as my wife is salivating to take it over! But man, is the new iPad simply fantastic.

Bottom line, I guess there is a tiny portion of population that can't handle it (I've always had problem with spinning rides, reading in car, playing 1st person shooter games, 3D movies, boats, etc.). Glad someone posted about this!

Tikatoo

Level 1

10 points

Apr 12, 2011 10:41 PM in response to YuanLin

I also have Meniere's Disease, although it has lessened as the years have gone by.

I have only had one instance of dizziness ... while using the iPhone. I don't have my iPad 2 yet ... it is still being built ... but we shall see.

I do agree though that BREATHING properly makes a huge difference. I have played mmorpg's for years and the virtual reality of those games can create dizziness/nausea problems that are well known.

Remember to breathe deep, and often

May 18, 2011 7:30 AM in response to YuanLin

Yea! I got pretty sick (like car motion sick) when I first got my iPad (April 2010), I found that I would fee queasy from using Numbers. As Numbers was the primary reason I purchased the iPad I thought it was the iPad itself making me sick. Instead, I've come to realize it's just Numbers. It has the same deleterious effects as a 1st player shooters for me (think Wolfenstein 3D).

I found that when I lock the rows and columns in Numbers, the screen doesn't move around so much, I feel fine. If don't like the rows and columns, I feel terrible within like 5 minutes.

Avoiding 1st player games (infinity blade) and using Numbers with rows and columns locked has allowed me to use my iPad with much delight. Such a great tool for b-school!

Best of luck!

nkspeech

Level 1

4 points

May 25, 2011 1:34 PM in response to YuanLin

I just bought an Ipad from the Mac Store last night. When I was watching the demonstration for using the apps on my new Ipad from a great compassionate young Apple salesman, I got dizzy and fell. I normally do not feint but got all my vitals checked out anyway to make sure. I love the Ipad and have been using it today but find I continue to get dizzy using it. I also get motion sickness normally. It is too bad because I really love the machine, but have to love my body more. Thank you for posting these notes about the Ipad and dizziness. I may try an Iphone instead.

Jun 10, 2011 3:37 AM in response to YuanLin

You are most definitely not alone. I am used to getting motion sickness but after two weeks of it, I went to my doctor last week for nausea, dizziness, and vertigo onset and she prescribed a head CTscan. I went home to my beloved 2-week old iPad and realized there might be a connection with all the flipping and sliding and rolling...just writing about it now makes me queasy. I forced myself to stay away for a week and now I feel great. This morning is my first time back. I have dimmed the screen and will try other suggestions given above but you are not alone. These are very real side effects of iPad use!

nkspeech

Level 1

4 points

Jun 15, 2011 5:07 PM in response to YuanLin

I found the below passage on Page 3 of the Ipad Manual regarding eye strain, headaches, blackouts, etc. From the below passage, Apple notes that this phenomena can occur from playing games or watching movies on the Ipad. However, I also experience dizziness and eye strain from watching the movement of words/photos/ pictures move across the Ipad screen. I hope that Apple would, in the future, place the below "Warning" on Page 1 of the Manual instead of burying it within Page 3. I question how young children are responding to this new Ipad technology, specifically those with special needs.

Page 3 Ipad Manual:

Seizures, Blackouts, and Eyestrain A small

percentage of people may be susceptible to

blackouts or seizures (even if they have never had

one before) when exposed to flashing lights or light

patterns such as when playing games or watching

video. If you have experienced seizures or blackouts

or have a family history of such occurrences, you

should consult a physician before playing games

or watching videos on your iPad. Discontinue use

of iPad and consult a physician if you experience

headaches, blackouts, seizures, convulsion, eye or

muscle twitching, loss of awareness, involuntary

movement, or disorientation. To reduce risk of

headaches, blackouts, seizures, and eyestrain,

avoid prolonged use, hold iPad some distance

from your eyes, use iPad in a well-lit room,

and take frequent breaks.

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Feeling dizzy or nausea after using iPad