Video narration
Is dizziness the same as feeling the world spin? Step off a merry-go-round, and the spin can linger even when you're standing still. Vertigo is that sense of movement: you feel yourself or your surroundings moving when neither is. But dizziness isn't always spinning, and not every dizzy feeling is vertigo. Your brain tracks motion by comparing messages from your balance system, including your inner ear. When those messages conflict, your brain can interpret them as movement. That spinning sensation is real. It doesn't mean the room is moving; your brain is getting mixed balance signals. Vertigo names the sensation, not its cause. The inner ear is a common source, but the reason can vary. So why can you feel movement while standing still? Your balance system is sending your brain mixed signals, so stillness feels like motion.