The calcium crystals are the structures that ultimately stimulate the position hairs and provoke nerve impulses created by the position changes and transmit that information to the brain stem and cerebellum.

Abnormalities of the vestibular system may cause:

• vertigo (the sensation that the room is spinning);
• benign paroxysmal positional vertigo;
• labyrinthitis, and
• Meniere's Disease.

Some examples of common diseases and conditions involving the ear include:

• swimmer's ear,
• ear wax
• cauliflower ear,
• Eustachian tube problems,
• otitis media (middle ear infection), and
• tinnitus (ringing in the ear).

REFERENCE: Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Elsevier, Churchill, Livingstone. 39th Edition. 2004