Why do we get dizzy? Does it have to do with the ear?

Answer 1

Vertigo, or dizziness, is a symptom, not a disease. The term vertigo refers to the sensation of spinning or whirling that occurs as a result of a disturbance in balance (equilibrium). It also may be used to describe feelings of dizziness, lightheadedness, faintness, and unsteadiness. The sensation of movement is called subjective vertigo and the perception of movement in surrounding objects is called objective vertigo.

Vertigo usually occurs as a result of a disorder in the vestibular system (i.e., structures of the inner ear, the vestibular nerve, brainstem, and cerebellum). The vestibular system is responsible for integrating sensory stimuli and movement and for keeping objects in visual focus as the body moves.

Answer 2

I am not for sure what actually happens inside your head that causes someone to get dizzy. I do know that your inner ear can make you dizzy, being stressed out can make you dizzy, and for me if I ride in the back seat of a car I get dizzy or look down in the back seat of a car. Your eye's can also make you dizzy if you strain them alot. Sometimes I get VERY dizzy to where the entire room spins if I move my head. I usually have to lay in bed and go to sleep for 2 or 3 hours for it to go away. I HATE being dizzy. It is one of the worst feelings ever.

Answer 3

Hi, first off please go and see your doctor. It sounds like you have an inner ear infection. Your ears are awesome things, not only do they let you hear stuff but deep down inside them are mechanisms for helping you balance. If you get an infection then these mechanisms can't work properly. The dizziness and sickness are side effects of this. Please go to your doctor. If it is an inner ear infection he will most likely prescribe a simple course of antibiotics and within a few days you will be feeling great. Best of luck.

Answer 4

More to do with your head. Lack of oxygen to the brain makes you dizzy. Your ears are deceiving you by telling you they are the culprit.

Answer 5

A large percentage of the adult population reports episodes of dizziness or vertigo to a physician during their lifetime. Many of these cases involve vestibular (inner ear) disorders. Other cases of dizziness are due to problems unrelated to the inner ear, such as cardiovascular, neurological, or psychological disorders.


DIZZINESS CAUSED BY VESTIBULA DISORDERS

The vestibular organs of the inner ear provide the brain with information about changes in head movement. If the vestibular system is not functioning properly, dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, spatial disorientation, and other symptoms can result.

Vestibular-system distress can be caused by a variety of influences, including viral infections of the labyrinth (labyrinthitis) or the vestibular nerve (vestibular neuronitis). Bacterial infection of either the middle ear (otitis media) or the brain coverings (meningitis) may spread to the inner ear. Allergies can cause changes in the inner ear fluids or middle ear pressure because of swelling of the Eustachian tube and production of fluid in the middle ear.

Head trauma is a common cause of inner ear damage in people under age 50. A blow to the head or a "whiplash" injury can result in, for example, perilymph fistula or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Vestibular-system dysfunction may appear immediately following head trauma or after a delay of days, weeks, or months.

Vestibular disorders can also occur from exposure to ototoxins (drugs or chemicals that are harmful to the inner ear or the vestibulo-cochlear nerve). Degeneration of the hair cells in the inner ear is also thought to occur with aging and can result in dizziness and vertigo as well as hearing loss. A benign tumor known as an acoustic neuroma can grow on the vestibulo-cochlear nerve. In many cases of vestibular disorders, including Meniere's disease and other forms of endolymphatic hydrops, the underlying or original cause cannot be determined.

Other conditions that may affect vestibular function include migraine, mal de debarquement (a sensation of rocking that persists after a cruise or other travel), autoimmune inner ear disease, cervical (neck) problems, vascular compression of the vestibular nerve, superior canal dehiscence, cholesteatoma, enlarged vestibular aqueduct, and others.

DIZZINESS FROM NON_VESTIBULA CAUSES

Dizziness is the second most common complaint heard in doctors' offices (after lower back pain). Dizziness has many causes other than inner ear dysfunction.

Visual disturbances can result in lightheadedness or dizziness. Some people feel dizzy while adjusting to bifocals or a new eyeglass prescription, or from reduced vision due to cataracts.

Hyperventilation can cause temporary dizziness. During rapid breathing, more carbon dioxide than normal is expelled and the level of carbon dioxide in the blood falls, which in turn affects the function of brain cells.

Decreased blood flow to the brain or brain stem can cause dizziness, because insufficient oxygen is reaching the cells. Conditions that can reduce blood flow to the brain include orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure upon suddenly rising from a lying or sitting position), dehydration, vasovagal syndrome (a nervous-system response that causes sudden loss of muscle tone in peripheral blood vessels), arteriosclerosis (hardening or narrowing of blood vessels), and osteoarthritis (a joint disease that can narrow the openings in the neck vertebrae through which blood vessels flow).

Nervous-system disorders such as peripheral neuropathies (diminished nerve function in the legs or feet) can cause unsteadiness. A tumor may affect the brain stem, the cerebellum (the coordination center of the brain), or the part of the cerebral cortex that controls voluntary muscle movements.

Even stress, tension, or fatigue may cause dizziness. Under these conditions, the brain stem functions less efficiently, resulting in some loss of automatic reflex control of balance. This leads to elevated levels of activity for the cerebral cortex, as conscious energy is used to help maintain balance by controlling voluntary muscle movements. Lightheadedness and unsteadiness can result.

Answer 6

i think its probably got something to do with the fluid that surrounds the brain, i mean if you spin around, you feel like your head is still spinning, its the fluid i think. lol what an odd question.