Derived from a Latin phrase meaning "a condition of turning about," the term vertigo(めまい)is used in medical circles to describe the sensation of spinning or swaying while the body is stationary. Usually associated with a disturbance in the inner ear balance mechanism, the brain, or nerve connections between the two, vertigo is a major symptom of a balance disorder. There are two types of vertigo: subjective and objective. A person experiencing subjective vertigo feels a false sensation of movement. When a person experiences objective vertigo, the surroundings will appear to move past his or her field of vision.