Question: why do i get dizzy when i spin

Josh Makepeace answered on 20 Jun 2013:

Hey 11charg1 🙂

You body has some clever systems for working out which way up you are and which way you’re moving. One of these systems is found in your ear, where there are some little pockets of liquid called endolymph. The liquid moves around in little channels in your ear when you move your head. As it moves, it tickles little hairs in side the channel that send messages back to your brain to tell you which way your head is moving.

When you spin, the liquid starts moving in the direction that you’re spinning. When you spin fast, it moves fast! When you stop spinning, the liquid keeps moving for a little while, so your brain still thinks it’s spinning around. That’s why you get the dizzy feeling. It also explains why you can fix your dizziness by spinning in the opposite direction – by doing that you slow down the liquid, so your brain thinks it’s not spinning any more!

It’s amazing that that feeling is all because of a small amount of liquid in your ear!! Thanks for the question.