Dizziness and the Vestibular System
By Brant Lewis
Dizziness can be caused by a number of reasons. Trauma from a car accident or concussion are very common. Infection or inflammation of the inner ear, migraines, surgery, medications, aging and even dental work can cause dizziness.
When dizziness occurs, the vestibular system which is part of the inner ear, can become disrupted.
Within the vestibular system there is a small sensor about the size of a dime. This small sensor controls 6 degrees of movement and it sends signals to the brain; 1,000,000 signals a second.
This sensory system provides the sense of balance. Disruptions to this system can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea and loss of balance.
Another very common balance disorder in the inner ear causing dizziness or vertigo is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV. It also can be caused by injury to the head, or simply aging.
Symptoms are repeated, brief periods of vertigo with movement, characterized by a spinning sensation when changing the position of the head. The underlying cause is typically from the small crystals inside our inner ear that become dislodged and are moving around.
There are 3 canals in the inner ear, each canal senses a different motion. When the brain receives improper signals because of displaced crystals, our eyes will move in the direction the brain thinks we are falling. When this happens we feel like the world is spinning.
To treat BPPV, the patient must first be evaluated to find out where the disruption of crystals has occurred so that the best exercises can be applied to fix the problem.
Doctor offices and physical therapy clinics that specialize in balance, can evaluate the movement of the eyes using Infrared Video-Oculography goggles. These specialized goggles give a close up view of the eyes during movement of the body and will tell us what part of the vestibular system is being affected. This will help us determine the best exercise to use to correct the problem by resetting the crystals or by moving them out of the canal.
What should I do if I am experiencing dizziness or vertigo? Talk with your family doctor. If your dizziness is related to the inner ear, your doctor will have you visit a specialist who works with balance to evaluate where the problem is coming from and to get you started on exercises to resolve the problem.