Day or Night, Ears Keep You Upright
Ears do more than hear. They keep you balanced, too. In the inner ear, there are three small loops above the cochlea called semicircular canals. Like the cochlea, they are also filled with liquid and have thousands of microscopic hairs. When you move your head, the liquid in the semicircular canals moves, too. The liquid moves the tiny hairs, which send a nerve message to your brain about the position of your head. In less than a second, your brain sends messages to the right muscles so that you keep your balance.

Sometimes the liquid in your semicircular canals keeps moving after you've stopped moving. To understand this, fill a cup halfway with water. Now move the cup around in a circle in front of you, and then stop. Notice how the water keeps swishing around, even after the cup is still? That's what happens in your semicircular canals when you spin in circles or go on the Tilt-A-Whirl at the amusement park.

When you stop spinning or step off the ride, the fluid in your semicircular canals is still moving. The hairs inside the canals are sensing movement even though you're standing still. That's why you might feel dizzy - your brain is getting two different messages and is confused about the position of your head. Once the fluid in the semicircular canals stops moving, your brain gets the right message and you regain your balance.

Three Cheers for the Ears!
Your ears take care of you, so take care of them. Protect your hearing by wearing earplugs at loud music concerts and around noisy machinery, like in wood or metal shop at school. Keep the volume down on your stereo, especially if you're in the car or wearing headphones. And one last thing - don't go poking around in your ears, even with cotton swabs. As you probably know, there's only one thing that's safe to put in your ear. Your elbow, of course.

Updated and reviewed by: Robert C. O'Reilly, MD
Date reviewed: March 2004
Originally reviewed by: Steven Cook, MD, and James S. Reilly, MD