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Dizziness
or vertigo is the result of the central nervous system receiving conflicting
messages from the eyes, inner ears, muscles and skin pressure receptors.
The body maintains
a sense of balance through a complex system using both the inner ears
and the eyes. Within the canals of the ears, are tiny calcium carbonate
crystals (called otoliths) that apply pressure to the hairlike cells
that line the inner membranes. Gravity causes the otoliths to shift
in response to head movements. This bends the fiber cells, sending
signals to the brain which then determine the position of the head.
If other small particles gather in the inner ears, they too will apply
pressure to the hair cells and false signals will be sent to the brain
which could result in the feeling of unsteadiness.
Other
possible causes of dizziness are many, but a partial list includes:
high or low blood pressure, anemia, fever, ear infection, poor cerebral
circulation, pinched blood vessels, stress, poor nutrition, aging,
lack of oxygen to the brain, or brain tumor.
In addition, the
sensation of dizziness can be experienced simply from rising too quickly
from a sitting or lying position.
In Traditional
Chinese Medicine, the most common cause of dizziness is stagnant liver
qi which transforms into fire. This fire injures liver yin, creating
excess liver yang which ascends to the head and causes the sensation
of dizziness.
Dizziness from
deficiency is most frequently caused by qi and blood deficiencies.
The deficiency results in inadequate supplies of qi and blood nourishment
to the brain.
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