Dizziness can be something we feel after doing many different things, such as riding roller coasters or spinning around. This unpleasant feeling is common, but what exactly inside our minds and bodies causes it? Continue reading to find out!
Dizziness is not considered to be a disease, but it can be classified as a symptom, or side effect of a condition. The state of being dizzy can be described as the feeling of spinning, or the room revolving when you are staying still. Lightheartedness, imbalance, and motion sickness can also occur while feeling dizzy. Though it may seem like a strange sensation, there is a reason why our brains register this feeling in these specific situations!
Located inside our inner ear, three semicircular canals containing liquid keep our brain aware of the position of our body. When we move our head, it causes the fluid in those canals to move as well, which sends our brain signals about changes in our position. Additionally, these canals are lined with tiny hairs that move within this liquid, also sending our brain signals about our body position. When our body is moving extremely quickly during roller coasters, or when we are spinning, the fluid in those canals constantly move, which causes the hair cells to move as well, resulting in our brain being confused with the mixed signals of where our body is in space.
Newton's first law of motion states, "Every object in a state of uniform motion will remain in that state of motion unless an external force acts on it." This means that unless something stops an object from moving, it will continue to stay in motion. In this case, when we suddenly stay still after rapid motion, the hair cells and fluid in the canals inside our inner ear continues to move, even when our body's position is still. Therefore, since the signals that our brain is receiving does not match up with what we see in our vision, it causes us to have a nauseous reaction, or feel like the room is spinning or we're still spinning when we really are not.
Being dizzy is usually not a big concern, as it is a normal reaction from our brain trying to make sense of the mixed signals it is receiving. However, if you repeatedly experience dizziness due to an unknown reason, or for an irregularly long period of time, please contact your doctor about the issue to be safe.
Thank you for reading!
Written by: Janice Le
Resources:
Ed.D., Weseley Allyson, and McEntarffer Robert Ph.D. Barron’s AP Psychology, 8th Edition: With Bonus Online Tests. 8th ed., Barron’s Educational Series, 2018.
“Newton’s Three Laws of Motion.” Julius Orion Smith III, 24 June 2020, ccrma.stanford.edu/%7Ejos/pasp/Newton_s_Three_Laws_Motion.html.
Wolchover, Natalie. “Why Does Spinning Make You Dizzy?” Live Science, 10 Apr. 2012, www.livescience.com/33828-spinning-dizzy.html.
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