Every kid knows the joy of spinning around and around, getting dizzy, and trying to walk straight or simply stand up and not fall over, or perhaps of getting on one of those small merry-go-rounds at the park and rotating very fast and getting silly dizzy. What great fun!
This kind of dizziness goes to the heart of how we maintain our balance. There are three mechanisms at work to keep us from falling over. The primary tool for maintaining our balance is our vision. We can see if we are falling over and if things are level.
The second is our vestibular, or inner-ear, apparatus. The inner ear has three semicircular canals, all at right angles to one another and all filled with fluid. We’re using the vestibular balance mechanism of our inner ear when we stand upright, close our eyes, and don’t fall over. When a person spins around and around, they get that fluid moving. When the person suddenly stops spinning, the fluid keeps moving. There is conflicting information fed to the brain between what the eyes see and the messages that inner-ear fluid is sending. So a person feels dizzy for a bit. Astronaut and senator John Glenn had a fall in the bathroom while he was replacing a light fixture. He hit his head and had dizzy spells for some time due to damage to the inner ear.
The third component we use to maintain balance is the kinesthesia or proprioception mechanism. The two terms are often, and at times incorrectly, used interchangeably. Our body sends signals to the brain from our muscles and tendons, or proprioceptors, to give us an awareness of position and movement of our body. Aviators call it the “seat of the pants” sensation.
Dizziness or vertigo can also result from a medical problem; some drugs cause dizziness as a side effect, too. The nausea is a result of conflicting messages sent to the brain.
Answers
Mahesh patel
Every kid knows the joy of spinning around and around, getting dizzy, and trying to walk straight or simply stand up and not fall over, or perhaps of getting on one of those small merry-go-rounds at the park and rotating very fast and getting silly dizzy. What great fun!
This kind of dizziness goes to the heart of how we maintain our balance. There are three mechanisms at work to keep us from falling over. The primary tool for maintaining our balance is our vision. We can see if we are falling over and if things are level.
The second is our vestibular, or inner-ear, apparatus. The inner ear has three semicircular canals, all at right angles to one another and all filled with fluid. We’re using the vestibular balance mechanism of our inner ear when we stand upright, close our eyes, and don’t fall over. When a person spins around and around, they get that fluid moving. When the person suddenly stops spinning, the fluid keeps moving. There is conflicting information fed to the brain between what the eyes see and the messages that inner-ear fluid is sending. So a person feels dizzy for a bit. Astronaut and senator John Glenn had a fall in the bathroom while he was replacing a light fixture. He hit his head and had dizzy spells for some time due to damage to the inner ear.
The third component we use to maintain balance is the kinesthesia or proprioception mechanism. The two terms are often, and at times incorrectly, used interchangeably. Our body sends signals to the brain from our muscles and tendons, or proprioceptors, to give us an awareness of position and movement of our body. Aviators call it the “seat of the pants” sensation.
Dizziness or vertigo can also result from a medical problem; some drugs cause dizziness as a side effect, too. The nausea is a result of conflicting messages sent to the brain.