Although it usually comes from benign problems of the inner ear, if you've experienced it, you know how disabling and frustrating it can be. Because balance is affected by so many different factors, trying to diagnose the cause of vertigo can be almost as frustrating as the disease. Nonetheless, we make the effort to find the cause in each case because a specific diagnosis helps determine the best therapy. Our sense of balance comes from the vestibular system which takes information from the inner ears, eyes and muscles and sends it all to the brain's balance center. Although most causes of dizziness are benign and self-limited, testing is usually needed to help assure there are not other more concerning causes such as tumors or strokes.
Dizziness can be a difficult feeling to describe.
Vertigo is a definite spinning sensation and almost always points to the inner ear. The mechanical part picks up sound from the outer ear canal and then vibrates the ear drum and three tiny hearing bones in the middle ear. The inner ear looks a bit like a snail. It has two halves which are connected and are filled with fluid. The coil or cochlea takes care of the nerve-part of hearing.