What Do You Know About Balance Disorders?

The labyrinth is an organ in the inner ear. It interacts with other systems in the body—the eyes, bones and joints, brain and nervous system--to maintain the body's position.

The semicircular canals—called superior, posterior, and horizontal—are filled with fluid. When the fluid moves, it tells us that we are moving in a circular motion. The motion of the fluid can tell our brain whether we are nodding our heads up and down or right and left. The otolithic organs in the ear, called the utricle and the saccule, tell us about movement in a straight line, backward, or forward.

The eyes tell us where our body is in space, but they also work in conjunction with the ears, skeletal system, and brain and nervous system to keep us balanced.

Other symptoms include a spinning sensation, lightheadedness, feeling woozy, visual blurring, and disorientation. Some people may feel nauseous; they may vomit or have diarrhea; feel faint; notice changes in heart rate; and feel fear, anxiety, or panic, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) says. Some symptoms may come and go, and others may last for a long time.

Other causes of balance disorders include head injury, circulation problems that affect the inner ear or brain, and certain medications. A balance disorder may be caused by a problem in the inner ear, in the brain and nervous system, or in the circulatory system. Balance problems are one of the main reasons that older adults see their doctor. Balance problems affect about 9 percent of people ages 65 and older, the NIDCD says. Balance problems can lead to falls, which are a leading cause of death and disability in older adults.

It causes vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and a feeling of fullness in the ear, the NIDCD says. Other balance disorders include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, which causes brief, intense periods of vertigo when moving the head; labyrinthitis, an inflammation of the inner ear; vestibular neuronitis, an infection of the vestibular nerve; and perilymph fistula, when the inner ear fluid leaks into the middle ear.

Motion sickness occurs when there is a conflict of signals to the brain about the sensation of movement. When you read in a moving car, for instance, your eyes see the book, which isn't moving, but your body senses the movement of the car. Your brain has difficulty resolving these conflicting reports. Some symptoms of motion sickness are dizziness, sweating, nausea, and vomiting.

Treatment depends on the particular balance disorder and the person being treated. If an illness such as ear infection or stroke is the cause of the balance disorder, treatment likely will be for that particular disease. Some people may benefit from balance retraining exercises, also called vestibular rehabilitation, the NIDCD says. Antibiotics, as well as changes in diet, may be prescribed for people with Meniere's disease.

Other suggestions include limiting your intake of salt and nicotine; practice relaxation techniques to reduce stress; avoid hazardous activities when feeling dizzy.