It’s fun to twirl and whirl and swirl about, but the moment you stop, something doesn’t feel quite right. You feel dizzy! Why does this happen? Today, we answer this question with help from Highlights Kids.

You know your ears allow you to hear, but did you know that they also give you a sense of balance? It’s true! 

Your inner ear is a hollow space filled with fluid and lined with tiny hairs. As Highlights Kids explains, each hair is connected to a nerve cell that carries signals to the brain. When you spin, the fluid in your ears also spins causing the hairs to bend and send a message of the spinning movement to your brain.   

When you stop spinning, the fluid keeps moving, and the messages continue to be sent to the brain. This causes you to feel like you’re still spinning. You’re dizzy!