The balance system itself is a 3 legged animal. It is dependent on your eyes to inform of your orientation, your muscles and joints, which inform you of any postural changes, and your inner ear which acts to inform you of your orientation relative to gravity and any ongoing changes. Dizziness signifies a problem with the balance system.
The balance system works to inform you of your current position and orientation. It also works to inform you of ongoing changes in your current position and orientation. The balance system itself is a 3 legged animal. It is dependent on your eyes to inform of your orientation, your muscles and joints, which inform you of any postural changes, and your inner ear which acts to inform you of your orientation relative to gravity and any ongoing changes. For the best balance, you need all 3 legs to be healthy and integrated by your brain.
The contribution of vision can be optimized with a consultation to an eye care specialist, i.e. ophthalmologist or optometrist. The input from your muscles can be improved with a healthy, active lifestyle that includes lots of walking. For the inner ear, different conditions may impair its function requiring different treatment regimens.
What is Dizziness?
Dizziness signifies a problem with the balance system. What one is truly experiences when they say they feel dizzy provides clues to where the problem lies and what the problem is. When one says they are dizzy, they may mean that they feel light headed, off balance, or have a sensation of movement when one is not moving.
People often use the words dizziness and vertigo interchangeably, but dizziness does not necessarily equal vertigo. Vertigo is the hallucination of movement. People with vertigo will often report that they experience a spinning sensation or the sensation that their head is spinning.
Determining what exactly one is experiencing during these “dizzy” periods can be helpful in determining the cause of these symptoms and ultimately in treating these conditions.
