Causes

• The inner ear allows the human body to balance. If something is wrong with the inner ear, chances are a person will experience dizziness or vertigo, which causes a sensation of spinning. Both dizziness and vertigo cause loss of balance, nausea and even vomiting. A variety of conditions or illnesses that affect the inner ear will also affect balance, stability and cause dizziness.
  
  

Inflammation

• Swollen or inflamed canals in the ear may be caused by viral infections. The vestibules of the inner ear are extremely sensitive, and the slightest bit of swelling or accumulation of fluid may initiate sensations of dizziness. Any inflammation in the inner ear organs create imbalance and spatial disorientation, or the inability of an individual to determine body position in relation to the ground, or sensation of motion.
  
  

Meniere's Disease

• Fluid buildup in the ear is fairly common at times, but when such fluid accumulation is excessive and often, Meniere's disease may be diagnosed. The condition causes vertigo that lasts more than 30 minutes and is accompanied by a loud ringing or buzzing in the ear, as well as some hearing loss. Caused by very large amounts of fluid in the inner ear, Meniere's Disease may be the result of a viral infection, allergies and circulation problems. Researchers are still looking into the exact causes of the disease, attacks of which often last between 15 or 20 minutes to 24 hours.
  
  

Motion Sickness

• People who ride in the back seat of cars or ride spinning, twirling or up and down rides at an amusement park often experience dizziness, caused by the rapid changes in equilibrium in the inner ear that stabilizes balance. These rapid changes can't be adjusted rapidly enough by the inner ear, which leads to sensations of spinning or dizziness for those more sensitive to such changes in direction, altitude and orientation to the horizon.
  
  

Other Causes of Dizziness

• Dizziness isn't always caused by swelling or inflammation in the inner ear. In some cases, dizziness may be caused by faulty eyesight or cataracts. Others may experience dizziness as a result of hyperventilating, which encourages higher levels of carbon dioxide than oxygen in the blood. Any medical condition that causes a decrease in blood flow to the brain may also cause dizziness, such as low blood pressure, dehydration and hardening or narrowing of the arteries, known as arteriosclerosis.
  
  Chronic stress or fatigue may also cause dizziness, as does any damage or compression of nerves leading to or from the brain. Tumors pressing on the brain stem or at the cerebellum, known as the control center of the brain, may also cause sensations of dizziness or vertigo.