According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, 2 million people visit a doctor for dizziness each year.  There are several types of dizziness; the most common associated with travel is motion sickness. Motion sickness is associated with nausea and vomiting when riding an airplane, boat, car or amusement park ride.  Another type of dizziness is vertigo. This involves a sensation that the room is spinning or of movement in space - even when the head is steady.

People who experience dizziness often have symptoms of light-headedness, unsteadiness, giddiness, and generally feel dizzy.  However, problems with dizziness are more commonly due to having an inner ear issue.

You may be wondering what dizziness has to do with the ear. The inner ear is a significant source of balance and equilibrium. The inner ear is one of five systems that work together to keep the body stable. The first system is the eyes; they monitor the body’s position in space and the direction of motion, such as upward and downward movements. The inner ear is the second system of balance, which also monitors the body’s direction of motion such as forward-backward or side-to-side. Skin pressure receptors are the third system of balance; they allow you to sense which body part is touching the ground. The fourth system includes muscle and joint sensory receptors that provide awareness of which body parts are moving. Finally, the central nervous system contributes to maintaining balance by coordinating all of the previous systems.

Causes of Dizziness:

• Low blood flow to the brain caused by caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, nicotine, excess salt in the diet, stress, anxiety, or tension
• Injury (e.g. a skull fracture that damages the inner ear)
• Infection that affects the inner ear
• Allergies
• Neurological disease: disease that affects the nerves (e.g. multiple sclerosis, syphilis, or a tumor)
• Due to particles that break off in the inner ear and accumulate behind the membrane in the posterior canal (cause vertigo)

Prevention:

Dizziness is a mild health issue that is easily prevented. Here are some tips to reduce the likelihood of experiencing dizziness:

• Avoid rapid change in position
• Avoid extreme head motion
• Avoid hazardous activities
• Eliminate or decrease the use of certain products that inhibit low blood flow (e.g. nicotine, caffeine, etc.)
• Minimize exposure to circumstances (e.g. allergy substances, stress, etc.)

Treatment:

Several treatments are available to patients suffering from dizziness. The World Health Organization recommends acupuncture , stating that it can have a significant effect on a person who suffers from dizzy spells. According to a study done in Manual Therapy, acupuncture reduced the effects of vertigo and dizziness and had positive effects on active head repositioning in patients with symptoms of vertigo/dizziness from a cervical origin. Another study  measured the effects of treating patients with dizziness with a combination of acupuncture and other lifestyle changes. The results showed an improvement for 86% of the patients with non-vertiginous dizziness, 92% with episodic vertigo, and 89% with positional vertigo.

Another treatment available is vestibular rehabilitation. This treatment is an exercise program that involves balance activities and head movement exercises. However, it is important to discover the cause of your ailment before considering which treatment option is best for you.  If the source of your dizziness is primarily due to lifestyle habits, then the best option is to change that habit.

Sources: American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic, PubMed