Why Do We Get Dizzy After Spinning?

Spin around in a circle a few times and then suddenly stop.

You know you've stopped. Your feet aren't moving. The room hasn't moved either.

So why does it feel as though everything is still spinning?

The answer isn't really in your eyes. Hidden deep inside each of your ears is a tiny balance system that constantly tells your brain how your head is moving.

When you spin, this system gets temporarily confused.

And that's when the room seems to start moving all by itself.

Your Ears Do More Than Hear

We usually think of our ears as being responsible for hearing, but they have another important job: helping us balance.

Deep inside your inner ear is a group of structures called the vestibular system.

Part of this system contains three tiny curved tubes called the semicircular canals.

The three canals point in different directions. This allows them to detect different kinds of head movement, including turning from side to side, nodding up and down and tilting.

They are extremely small, but they help your brain answer a very important question:

Which way am I moving?

There's Liquid Inside Your Balance System

The semicircular canals contain fluid.

When you turn your head, the canals move with it. The fluid inside doesn't instantly move in exactly the same way because of inertia, the tendency of something to resist a change in its motion.

The movement of the fluid bends tiny sensory structures containing hair cells inside the canals.

These hair cells aren't hairs like the ones growing on your head. They are specialised cells that detect movement.

When they bend, they send signals along nerves to your brain.

Your brain uses those signals to work out that your head is moving.

All of this happens automatically. You don't have to consciously think, "My head is now turning to the left."

Your inner ears are already reporting the movement.

What Happens When You Start Spinning?

Imagine you begin spinning around.

Your head and semicircular canals start turning immediately. The fluid inside them lags behind for a moment.

That difference in movement bends the sensory structures, telling your brain:

We're turning!

But if you keep spinning at a steady speed, something interesting happens.

The fluid gradually begins moving along with you. Once it catches up, there is less difference between the movement of the canals and the fluid.

Your balance system begins to adjust to the spinning.

Then you stop.

Your body and the canals stop almost immediately.

But the fluid inside them doesn't.

Because of inertia, it keeps moving for a short time.

Now those sensory structures are bent in the opposite direction.

Your brain receives signals suggesting:

We're still turning!

There's just one problem.

You're standing still.

Imagine a Cup of Water

Here's an easy way to picture what is happening.

Imagine holding a cup of water and turning it around in a circle.

At first, the cup moves but the water doesn't immediately follow every part of the movement.

Keep turning the cup and the water begins swirling too.

Now suddenly stop the cup.

The water keeps swirling.

The cup is stationary, but the liquid inside it is still moving.

Something similar happens inside the semicircular canals of your ears. The canals stop when your head stops, but the fluid continues moving briefly.

Your brain receives information from that moving fluid and thinks you're still rotating.

The room isn't spinning.

Your balance system is reporting leftover movement.

Your Eyes Join the Confusion

Your brain doesn't rely only on your ears to understand movement.

It also uses information from your eyes, muscles and joints.

Usually these systems agree.

If you turn your head, your inner ears detect the movement, your eyes see the scene changing and your muscles report that your body is moving.

After spinning, however, the messages can conflict.

Your eyes may be telling your brain:

The room is standing still.

Meanwhile, your inner ears are saying:

We're still turning!

Your brain has to make sense of two different reports.

That disagreement contributes to the strange sensation we call dizziness.

Why Do Your Eyes Sometimes Wobble?

After spinning, you may notice that it becomes difficult to focus on one spot.

That's because your inner ear is connected to an automatic system that helps control your eye movements.

Normally, when your head moves, your eyes automatically move in a way that helps keep what you're looking at steady.

Try looking at a word while slowly turning your head from side to side. You can probably keep reading it because your eyes automatically compensate for the movement.

After spinning, the continued signals from your inner ears can trigger repeated eye movements even though you've stopped.

These involuntary movements are called nystagmus.

They can make the world appear to jump, sway or spin.

Why Doesn't the Dizziness Last Forever?

Fortunately, the fluid inside your semicircular canals doesn't keep moving for very long.

Friction and resistance gradually slow it down.

As the fluid settles, the sensory structures return towards their normal position and the signals reaching your brain begin matching what your eyes and body are reporting.

We're standing still again.

The spinning sensation fades.

Your brain is also very good at adjusting when sensory information changes, which helps restore your sense of balance.

Why Do Some People Get Dizzier Than Others?

Not everyone reacts to spinning in exactly the same way.

How dizzy you become can depend on how fast you spin, how long you spin and how sensitive your balance system is.

Some people can spin several times and recover quickly. Others may feel wobbly after only a few turns.

People can also become dizzy for many reasons that have nothing to do with spinning, including illness, dehydration or problems affecting the inner ear.

So dizziness isn't always caused by swirling fluid in the semicircular canals.

Your Brain Is Constantly Solving a Puzzle

Standing upright might seem effortless, but your brain is doing an impressive amount of work every second.

It combines information from your eyes, inner ears, muscles and joints to work out where your body is and how it is moving.

Most of the time, those messages fit together perfectly.

Spinning creates a temporary puzzle.

Your feet say you've stopped.

Your eyes say you've stopped.

But for a few moments, the fluid inside your inner ears is still moving and your balance system says:

We're spinning!

That mismatch is why the world can seem to whirl around you even when you're completely still.

So the next time you spin around and stagger to a stop, remember:

The room hasn't lost its balance. Your inner ears just need a few moments to catch up.

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