Balance and dizziness

 
 

Dizziness

“Dizziness” means different things to different people, including:

  • lightheadedness

  • feeling woozy or muzzy-headed

  • imbalance

  • feeling like you are on a boat

  • giddy or spinning sensation

Causes of Dizziness

There are a multitude of causes of dizziness which may have nothing to do with the balance organ in the inner ear. Low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, diabetes and brain problems are just a few.

Balance sensation in the body depends on 3 systems:

  • Vision

  • Inner ear

  • Joint position sense (proprioception)

Information from these sources travels to the brain, where it is processed before signals are sent back to the postural muscles (legs, trunk, neck) and eye muscles to ensure the body stays balanced.

If 2 or more of theses systems aren’t working at 100% (eg, poor eyesight + arthritis, or inner ear problem + poor eyesight), you may start to feel off balance.

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Normal inner ear function

The inner ear is made up of 3 semicircular canals, which detect rotation, and the vestibule, which detects acceleration in a straight line (eg forward/back, side to side, up/down).

The semicircular canals contain fluid and have a small paddle-shaped nerve ending at one end (ampulla). With rotation, the fluid bends the paddle, which signals the movement to the brain.

The vestibule has 2 pads of hair-like nerve endings embedded in some jelly. Also in the jelly are small crystals of grit (otoconia), which give it some weight. With acceleration, the grit/jelly lag behind, bending the nerve endings, and signalling movement to the brain.