Feeling dizzy or nausea after using iPad

Here's something to try - have someone else manipulate your iPhone for a few minutes (scrolling webpages) while you keep your eyes with you at the same distance from the phone if you were using it. Do you still get nauseated?

This is exactly what happen to me! Thank you for this comment. I purchased an IPhone 4s a while back and was able to use it for about a week or two without much discomfort. After that, I had to take it back due to headache and dizziness. Bummer because I loved the phone. I still have an IPad but can't use it much. I have been experimenting with turning off the GPS and WIFI, and that seem to help some. Not completely sure what causes the problems (LEDs, screen flicker, screen transitions, EMF, RF, etc..). Wish I knew. There is some hope maybe if apple changes to OLEDs, which, I've heard, do not flicker at all. What did you end up doing with your iPhone??? Do you own an IPad, and can you use it??

IT Network Admin wrote:

have someone else manipulate your iPhone for a few minutes (scrolling webpages) while you keep your eyes with you at the same distance from the phone

How would one do this while not keeping their eyes with them?

Oops. That was a mistake. I meant to keep their eyes closed so they can rule out the the microwave radiation from the device is the cause of their symptoms. I got very nauseated when setting up a client's iPad two years ago.

Nausea and dizziness when looking at an LED screen is not unusual at all. Happens to me, too–not just on iPad but also PCs. Definitely make sure to breathe, take breaks, remember to blink, and watch your posture. Those things all have an effect.

It is my understanding (substantiated by some online research) that a comparison of LCD vs. LED is a flawed comparison. LCD describes the monitor/screen technology, while LED describes how the monitor/screen is lit. The screen on the iPad is an LCD that is backlit by LED.

If anyone who really knows what they're talking about wants to refute this, please do, but I believe this is correct.

Thanks, I will explore this further. I do think that it makes a difference, but I can't be sure until I use the iPad for an extended period of time (reading, watching video, typing). Has turning off these various data components help you and to what extent? What about the iPhone??? I think I may be getting closer to a solution! Thanks everyone for your posts!

Same problem here. I am glad i am not alone. I bought an iphone and after a few days of use i got a terrible headache and felt nausea. Now i get these symptoms after a few minutes of use. Terrible, cause i love my iphone.

A friend of mine owns Samsung Galaxy SII. When i use it it seems i do not get these symptoms, at least not in the degree with the iphone. But i haven't used this device for a long time so the comparison may not be valid. Is the screen causing these symptoms? Has someone from Apple responded? I see there are other people that get the same from their iphone / ipad. I would like to know what causes this and maybe work this out somehow.

Don't forget there are a few different causes for the nausea. For me it's the screen transitions on the ipad. The movement is too smooth and on a large enough screen to affect me.

There is also a case of LED flickering causing it in people too. Google it and you'll find most articles on TVs. I remember long ago when I saw the first 240Hz TV that smoothing tech gave me the same type of nausea. Outside of that I seem to recall something about a problem being the only way to dim LEDs was to flicker them so they weren't constantly on. Dunno the accuracy of all that, I just wanted to pitch back in there are multiple reasons these devices are causing nausea.

Thank for your comment, I don't feel so alone anymore. I experienced the same situation with the iPad. Initially I could use the iPad without much discomfort, but after a few weeks the headaches and dizziness/nausea set in and it was not fun anymore. Funny you should mention the Samsung Galaxy SII because it is on of the few phones that is using a newer LED technology that I have heard does not blink at all (OLED-Organic Light emitting Diode). I have been researching this technology and it look promising for us few who have trouble with the LED's. I think Apple will eventually start using this tech since it offers the capability to make the phone/tablet screen extremely thin and even flexible if needed. By the way, I did write a letter to Apple explaining my situation a few months back but have not received any response. One thing I have tried that seems to make using the iPad more tolerable is placing the tablet in airplane mode which turns of all the data signals (WiFi, GPS, etc...). I will keep experimenting. Keep the post coming everyone! Thanks everyone!

Based on my research, you are correct- most phones/tablets/computers use a LCD screen that is backlit by LEDs. It looks like LCD displays have been around for a while. Backlit LCDs using colored LEDs are a newer tech while OLEDs, in which the screen is actually the light source as well, is the newest tech. Does anybody agree, or have different knowledge.

Hello and thanks for your respone.

I tested the Galaxy SII for around 30 mins of continuing use and it seems that it does not cause me the headache and nausea my iphone does. It seems the problem is there but definitely not to the degree caused by the iphone. I understand that 30 mins is not a long time for testing but my iphone gives me the headache after 5 mins of use. As you already mentioned, it could be somehow connected to the screen. I noticed the same effect in my sister's Dell laptop that has a backlit led HD screen (my laptop is old and has a TFT). The screen did not cause me the same level of headache but the effect was there alright.

I wonder if this a problem that could be solved by a pair of glasses. I will have my eyes checked, maybe the doctor can suggest a solution.

Thanks again for the responses.

Wow - just out of curiosity I typed "iPad headaches dizziness" in Google and this popped up - thank god! I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me - all 3 things - headache, nausea, dizziness - started occurring in the a.m. I'm on some meds, but there hasn't been any change, so it wasn't that. Dizziness very severe - wondered how I was going to make it 4 feet to bathroom without falling. Then I thought . . . hmmmmm . . . I usually do iPad before going to bed and sometimes in the middle of the morning if I get up and don't feel like falling back to sleep right away - maybe I'll watch a TV episode on Netflix or surf the net for 1/2 hr. or so. I'm doing an experiment tonight - doing iPad after work, then nothing at all before bed or in the middle of the night - we'll see! So thankful for this forum!

Depending on how you feel tonight, you may want to run a TV episode on Netflix but not watch it - put the iPad down. This will allow you to rule out if it is either the radiation or the screen transitions from the iPad is making you ill. I reacted within 5 minutes of setting up a client's iPad a couple of years ago - dizzy, nausea, headache - I am sensitive to all forms of wireless radiation - Wi-Fi, cordless phones, cell towers etc.

Try turning the airplane mode in settings, which shuts off all the data signals (GPS, wireless, etc). If you still get a headache or other symptoms, at least you will know that it is probably the screen and/or backlighting (LED's) and not the signals coming from the device!