Some things you only think about when they start to bother you. Do you have balance problems or do you feel weary in an airplane or bus? There is a chance that your vestibular system has something to do with it.
It's in the inner ear. And because it's so fragile, it's surrounded by rock bone. Rock bone is the sturdiest bone in the body. The vestibular system forms a unit with the hearing organ. But how exactly does it work?
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The vestibular system generally consists of two parts. Three semicircular canals and two otolith organs. The information from the semicircular canals and otolith organs goes to the brain. And that information makes an important contribution to maintaining balance, both when you are standing still and when you are moving. And provide a stable view during head movements. The ducts contain the fluid endolymph. This liquid starts moving as soon as you move your head. And gives your brain the info it needs to keep your head straight and feel where it is.
You may have a genetic predisposition to feel dizzy quickly. Dizziness complaints are relatively more common in people aged 65 and over. And with damage to the vestibular system you can also get complaints. After a hard fall, for example. The signals that the brain normally receives in good order – due to the flow of that endolymph – are then misread or are unknown to your system. Resulting in dizziness. Incidentally, there are different types of dizziness.
In hospitals there are a number of methods that are used to try to help people get rid of vertigo. Two of them are these:a doctor rotates your body in a certain position, which hopefully brings everything back to where it should be, within the vestibular system. And:the organ is even completely switched off, with medicines. This is usually only used in people who have a very severe form of vertigo.
We actually have two organs of balance, one on each side of our head. After all, we also have two ears. In English you call this organ organ of balance. And for people who experience dizziness or nausea while flying, the explanation is not even that difficult. Your eyes see something different than your vestibular system feels. The latter 'knows' that you see higher than ever, but your eyes and your brain only see the TV screen in front of you. That imbalance can cause dizziness.
