Vestibular system and what is vertigo

The vestibular system is responsible for allowing us to perceive spatial orientation and maintain our balance; as well as this it is also responsible for vestibular organs in the eyes, muscles, joints, and finger tips and other parts of the body; it even has responsibilities in regards to blood pressure and heart rate. When sometime goes wrong with this system, we will most often learn about it through experiencing the symptom of vertigo. This is an important system if we want to be able to function well in the world so let’s take a close look at it.

The vestibular system is made up of the cochlea, and the labyrinth of the inner ear, this is connected by nerve cells to a part of the cerebellum that is responsible for handling the information in relation to balance and spatial orientation. The labyrinth structure is the most frequent source of problems when it comes to vertigo. This labyrinth contains fluid and this fluid is monitored by nerve cells that detect any motion within it. So if you move around the fluid will move and this will be picked up by the nerve cells; the information will be turned into an electrical signal and sent to the part of the brain responsible for monitoring it.

For most of our lives this system will work really well and we won’t be really aware of it. It is only when things begin to go wrong that we really become aware of the existence of the vestibular system. The most usual sign that something has gone wrong will be vertigo. The signals that are being sent are somehow being distorted and so we experience this unpleasant symptom. What are vertigo symptoms and explaining nystagamus

One of the things that can go wrong with the vestibular system is that tiny crystals within the inner ear can become dislodged and end up in the fluid of the labyrinths. These tiny crystals are made from calcium and in the normal course of events they are perfectly harmless. It is only when they are disturbed that they can become a problem. They could be dislodged by a number of events such as; infection, trauma, or inflammation. Once they are in the fluid they can disturb the balance and cause inappropriate signals to be passed onto the brain. This is referred to as benign postural vertigo and it is probably the most common problem that people experience with the vestibular system. When vertigo occurs it can be very disturbing with swimming vision, the perception of spinning, nausea, swooshing noises, and what could be described as a feeling of pressure in head.

Certain diseases can also lead to problems occurring with the vestibular system. An example of this would be Ménière disease; this also interrupts the normal fluid balance within the labyrinths. It is not yet possible to fully cure this disease and sufferers may have to deal with vertigo for many years.

As you can see the vestibular system is an important part of our bodies. It is something we usually fail to appreciate while it is working well but when things go wrong we quickly realize what a crucial role it performs. Common questions about vertigo

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