Quiz - 29 - Diving Knowledge Workbook - Diving Physiology

[Pedro Burrito]

From the Diving Physiology Section of the PADI Diving Knowledge Workbook Version 2.02 © PADI 2009:

Objective 2.12 - Define the term "vertigo" and explain the mechanism by which this normally occurs in the diver.

Question 1

Vertigo is a medical term meaning:

a. dizziness

b. infection of the inner ear

c. the inability to hear

d. the eardrum has been ruptured​

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Thank you for your patience while we try to give people something to discuss other than Covid-19 and/or Politics. I will post the answer covered by the spoiler tag later today.

 

[dorsal]

Sadly, I had a viral ear infection years ago that caused vertigo. Absolutely no fun for a few days.

 

[Pedro Burrito]

Spoiler: Answer

a. dizziness

Vertigo is defined as a disoriented state where the individual has the feeling of rotating or spinning.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Damn, got it wrong... The point is that I know very well what is "vertigo", as in Italian it is "vertigini"...
And everyone remembers the famous film by Alfred Hitchcock... I did always think that this was the normal name for it in English.
Instead, I did not know what "dizziness" means. I was thinking it was something as "mental confusion" or "slowness", or "numbness"..
Again a good lesson improving my technical English. Thanks @Pedro Burrito ....

 

[Ukmc]

Damn, got it wrong... The point is that I know very well what is "vertigo", as in Italian it is "vertigini"...
And everyone remembers the famous film by Alfred Hitchcock... I did always think that this was the normal name for it in English.
Instead, I did not know what "dizziness" means. I was thinking it was something as "mental confusion" or "slowness", or "numbness"..
Again a good lesson improving my technical English. Thanks @Pedro Burrito ....

Actually Angelo you are not entirely wrong. As part of my training I spent many hours differentiating dizziness from vertigo. They are actually different entities. Dizziness is a sensation of unsteadiness, lightheadiness, sometimes sensation of passing out. Vertigo is a sensation of environment movement (without actual movement) - e.g spinning or floating. It is imperative to distinguish between these two, as dizziness can be caused by heart problems, lung problems, brain problems, hypoxia, hyperventilation, anxiety etc. Vertigo, on the other hand, is something totally different and specifically points toward inner ear dysfunction

 

[Angelo Farina]

Actually Angelo you are not entirely wrong. As part of my training I spent many hours differentiating dizziness from vertigo. They are actually different entities. Dizziness is a sensation of unsteadiness, lightheadiness, sometimes sensation of passing out. Vertigo is a sensation of environment movement (without actual movement) - e.g spinning or floating. It is imperative to distinguish between these two, as dizziness can be caused by heart problems, lung problems, brain problems, hypoxia, hyperventilation, anxiety etc. Vertigo, on the other hand, is something totally different and specifically points toward inner ear dysfunction

Thanks for the clarification... That was exactly the same meaning I was associating with the word "dizziness".
And definitely this is not vertigo.
All those words ending with "ness" are associated with different states of your brains.
Vertigo is an equilibrium disturbance, something affecting the semicircular canals, not the brains...