Why do I get dizzy when I look directly up?

 Our sense of balance comes from a combination of what our eyes see, and what the balance mechanism in our inner ear senses about the position of our head and body and whether the two match.

The vestibular system (inner ear balance mechanism) works with the visual system (eyes, muscles and parts of the brain that work together to let us 'see') and both working together stop objects blurring when we move our head and also helps us maintain awareness of our position.

The balance mechanism in the inner ear. The semicircular canals contain fluid that, as it moves as we move, or move our heads, cause tiny hairs in the canals to move, and it's this movement that's fed back to the brain via the vestibular nerve.

Common cause of dizziness

The most common cause of feeling dizziness when you look up is a disorder of the inner ear called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, or BPPV. It's thought it's caused by “debris” that's known as "otoconia", which is small crystals of calcium carbonate that come from a structure in the ear called the "utricle”. A structure called the saccule also contains otoconia, but they're not able to migrate into the canal system. The utricles can be damaged by head injury, infection, or other disorders of the inner ear, or may have degenerated with age. BPPV is the most common cause of dizziness in older people though it affects younger people too (though it's rare in children).

BPPV symptoms

BPPV symptoms include dizziness or vertigo, lightheadedness, imbalance, and nausea. What triggers it varies from person to person, but it's usually brought on by a change of the position of the head with respect to gravity. Getting out of bed, rolling over in bed, using “back wash” sinks at hair salons, some yoga and pilates positions can bring on symptoms.

As people with BPPV often feel dizzy and unsteady when they tip their heads back to look up, it's sometimes called “top shelf vertigo”. It can be treated using something called the Epley maneuver, which is a sequence of positions that a medical professional. By putting the patient in, moving their head in specific directions and at specific angles, with the aim of repositioning the crystals in the canals. Before going for such treatment get a second opinion with the specialist. So that it helps you to know that you are going for the right treatment or not there may be alternative treatment can easily cure your dizziness. Get consult through online video call on Ask Second Opinion to make a right choice for your health. https://www.asksecondopinion.com/