To better understand benign positional vertigo, it helps to understand the anatomy of the ear.

The ear contains three main areas: the inner, middle and outer ear.

The inner ear contains the semi-circular canals, which also contain fluid and hair cells. The hair cells in the semi-circular canals sense the position of the body and send this information to the brain. This structure allows the body to maintain balance and equilibrium.

Important structures of the ear include:

• Pinna: the external ear helps to direct sound waves into the ear canal.
• Ear canal: sound waves travel along it to the eardrum
• Tympanic membrane: also referred to as the eardrum; it collects sound waves and transmits them to the ossicles
• Ossicles: three tiny bones that vibrate in response to sound waves bouncing off the eardrum
• Cochlea: a sensory organ that senses motion using tiny structures called cochlear hair cells.
• Labyrinth: This structure controls the body's equilibrium and balance.
• Semi-circular canals: contains tiny cells that sense movement and send information to the brain