39 What is vertigo?
Description
This article is from the Sea Kayaking FAQ, by Todd Leigh with numerous contributions by others.
39 What is vertigo?
Vertigo is not hypothermia but it is related to cold water
exposure. Vertigo is the sudden loss of balance and orientation to
one's surroundings.
Vertigo is caused when one ear drum is at a different temperature than
the other and since your inner ear affects your balance, different
inner ear temperatures affect your balance. A vertigo study was done
where they would induce vertigo by injecting cold water into a persons
ear. The head position they found that induced vertigo the most is the
position of your head when you are starting your roll. Vertigo can be
prevented by ear plugs and it can be cured by allowing your inner ears
regain equal temperatures which occurs after a few minutes. Vertigo
does not occur in all immersions into cold water.
Vertigo can cause your roll to fail no matter how good it is. Have a
backup rescue method to your roll. If your roll fails, are you
prepared to wet exit and be exposed to cold water?
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