What is the relationship between my ears and my sense of balance?

What is the relationship between my ears and my sense of balance?

Jason Hamilton (Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon) gives expert video advice on: What is "motion sickness" or "sea sickness"?; What can I do to prevent or treat motion sickness?; How can I reduce or prevent dizziness? and more...

The ears help with your balance because they are made up of a hearing system and a balance system. The balance system in the ear sends signals to the brain to let you know where you are in your environment. The signals are also transmitted to the eye and to your extremities, and transmitted back to the ear and into the brain so all systems work together. If you have a problem with the ear, and the balance system, you have dizziness or vertigo. A mild form of vertigo would be motion sickness. A more severe form of vertigo would be where there's a severe spinning sensation where you feel like you're going to fall down.