Balance Problems – Symptoms and Causes
Overview
Balance problems can cause dizziness, unsteadiness, or feelings of spinning. These symptoms may occur in any position—lying down, sitting, or standing.
To maintain normal balance, several body systems must work together properly. These include muscles, bones, joints, eyes, the inner ear’s balance organ, nerves, heart, and blood vessels.
When any of these systems fail to function correctly, balance issues can develop. While many health conditions can lead to balance problems, most stem from disorders of the vestibular system—the balance organ located in the inner ear.
Balance problems often make people feel like they might fall down or that the room is spinning around them. These sensations can be uncomfortable and even dangerous, especially for older adults where falls present serious risks.
Symptoms
People with balance issues may feel:
- Spinning or motion (vertigo)
- Lightheadedness or faintness
- Unsteadiness when standing or walking
- Falling or fear of falling
- Floating sensation or general dizziness
Other symptoms include blurry vision and confusion. These symptoms can happen occasionally or persist over time, affecting daily activities.
What Causes Balance Problems
Motion or Spinning Feelings
Balance issues often start with vertigo—a spinning sensation. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) happens when tiny calcium crystals in your inner ear move out of place.
This common condition might make you feel dizzy when turning in bed or looking upward.
Vestibular neuritis is an inflammatory condition likely caused by a virus. It affects the balance nerves in your inner ear, causing severe dizziness, nausea, and walking difficulties that can last for days.
Some people develop persistent postural-perceptual dizziness. This condition creates feelings of unsteadiness or motion in your head. Symptoms often worsen when you’re at shopping malls, reading, or watching moving objects.
Meniere’s disease causes sudden, severe spinning sensations along with hearing problems and ringing in the ears. This rare condition typically affects people between ages 20 and 40.
Migraines can trigger dizziness and sensitivity to movement (vestibular migraine). This is actually a common reason for feeling off-balance.
Other potential causes include:
- Acoustic Neuroma: A noncancerous tumor affecting hearing and balance nerves.
- Ramsay Hunt Syndrome: A shingles-like infection near the ear.
- Head Injuries: Concussions can trigger vertigo.
- Motion Sickness: Common in vehicles, boats, or amusement rides.
Lightheadedness and Faintness
Feeling faint or lightheaded often has different causes:
- Orthostatic Hypotension: Standing up too quickly can cause blood pressure to drop suddenly, making you feel faint or dizzy.
-
Heart Problems: Various cardiovascular issues can reduce blood flow and create lightheadedness:
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Blocked blood vessels
- Thickened heart muscle
- Decreased blood volume
- Unsteadiness and Balance Loss: Feeling unsteady while walking stems from several possible sources:
| Cause | How It Affects Balance |
|---|---|
| Inner ear problems | Creates floating sensations or unsteadiness in darkness |
| Nerve damage in legs | Makes walking difficult |
| Joint and muscle issues | Weakness creates instability |
| Vision problems | Poor eyesight leads to poor balance |
| Medications | Many drugs list unsteadiness as a side effect |
Certain neurological conditions, like cervical spondylosis and Parkinson’s disease, also affect balance.
General Dizziness
Dizziness can result from various factors:
- Inner ear abnormalities – creating false sensations of movement or floating.
- Mental health conditions – depression and anxiety can cause dizziness.
- Hyperventilation – rapid breathing often accompanies anxiety and causes lightheadedness.
- Medication side effects – many drugs list dizziness as a potential reaction.
Testing for balance disorders typically involves examining how your eyes, inner ear, and brain work together. Your doctor might recommend specialized balance tests to pinpoint the exact cause.
Treatment options vary based on what’s causing your symptoms. Physical therapy exercises can help with many balance problems, while medication might be needed for others.
For severe cases that don’t respond to other treatments, surgery may be considered.
Making lifestyle changes can also help. These might include reducing salt intake for Meniere’s disease or learning techniques to prevent or manage episodes of dizziness.
