• Question: what makes you feel dizzy

    Asked by diviatasha to Cesar, Emily, Jamie, Kate, Philippa on 19 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Kate Clancy

      Kate Clancy answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      Hi Divia, I’m glad you asked this question, because I recently had a very dizzy bout, and I’m glad I went to the doctor for it. I’ll tell you a little about what makes me dizzy personally, but a vestibular specialist would be able to say more. Or maybe Emily will be able to say more?

      Anyway, I have very low blood pressure. So I get dizzy whenever I go from lying to sitting, or sitting to standing. I actually black out for a second or two a few times a day from it! But I have gotten very good at looking in the direction of whoever is talking, so they don’t notice that I can’t actually see or anything for a moment.

      However, a month ago I started getting dizzy spells just from turning my head. It was a totally different feeling, and I went to my doctor. It turns out I had BPPV, or benign paroxsmal positional vertigo. Sounds scary, but totally isn’t.

      Did you know that you have tons of teeny, tiny little rocks inside your ears, and that the movement of those rocks against tiny hairs inside your ear are what give you balance? Sometimes those little rocks move out of the cave they’re supposed to stay in — it can happen because of a concussion, or sitting funny while getting your hair washed at the salon, or for no reason at all. But when those rocks aren’t where they are supposed to be you no longer have the right signals from your inner ear about balance, and it can make you dizzy. There are super easy exercises you can do to slowly roll the little rocks back in your ear. I did them, and it worked!

    • Photo: Emily Robinson

      Emily Robinson answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      It is the fluid in your ears!! Inside your inner ear you have three semi circular canals which allow you to know if you move your head up and down, left or right, or backwards or forwards. When you spin around the liquid in your ear moves with you, but when you stop moving the liquid in your ears doesn’t stop straight away so your brain thinks you are still moving and makes you feel dizzy!

    • Photo: Jamie Gallagher

      Jamie Gallagher answered on 19 Jun 2011:

      Hi Divia,

      my answer goes along with what Kate and Emily said, it is all about your inner ears. They are very sensitive.
      Have you ever felt sick when you get dizzy? I do. It is horrible. This happens becasue your ears havent settled from the spinning- yout body still thinks you are moving but your brain thinks you are still. This confused little network make your brain a little worried that something is wrong- poison perhaps and makes you sick.

      Yuk.

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