Like motion sickness without the motion is perhaps the best way to describe a common acute illness, labyrinthitis.
The balance mechanism which tells us where we are in space is located near the inner ear.
It consists of three semi-circular canals containing fluid and each one is on a different plane.
Movement of our bodies sets up currents in the fluid in these canals and this stimulates the sensitive nerve-endings in the labyrinth.
The nerve impulses are transmitted along part of the eighth cranial nerve to the brain. These impulses are interpreted by the brain and we have a sense of balance.
The eighth cranial nerve also conducts those sensations which the brain interprets as sound.
Disturbances in our balance mechanism can be caused by many factors. Degeneration due to age causes not only diminution in hearing, but also can disturb the related sensory organ, the balance mechanism.
Meniere’s disease is a specific disorder where deafness, tinnitus (or ringing in the ears), and attacks of giddiness occur.
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