What Are the Symptoms of a Balance Disorder?
When balance is impaired, an individual has difficulty maintaining orientation. For example, an individual may experience the “room spinning” and may not be able to walk without staggering, or may not be able to rise out of a chair. Some of the symptoms a person with a balance disorder may experience are:

• A sensation of dizziness or vertigo (spinning)
• Falling or a feeling of falling
• Lightheadedness or feeling “woozy”
• Visual blurring
• Disorientation
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, faintness, changes in heart rate and blood pressure, fear, anxiety or panic

Reactions to these symptoms often include fatigue, depression, anxiety and/or decreased concentration.

What Causes a Balance Disorder?
Infections, head injury, disorders of circulation affecting the inner ear or brain, certain medications, and aging may change our balance system and result in a balance disorder. Individuals who have illnesses, bran disorders, or injuries of the visual or skeletal systems (such as eye muscle imbalance and arthritis) may also experience balance difficulties. Conflicting signals about the sensation of movement can cause motion sickness.

How Are Balance Disorders Diagnosed?
Diagnosis of a balance disorder is complicated because there are so many kinds of balance disorders and because other medical conditions and some medications might be contributory.

A full hearing evaluation and balance work-up performed by an audiologist would be necessary. The balance testing includes Electronystagmography (ENG) or Videonystagmography (VNG) and may include such evaluative procedures as posturography.

How Are Balance Disorders Treated?
Individual treatment varies and is based upon symptoms, medical history, general health and results of medical tests. Often vestibular rehabilitation is an option. This includes balance retraining exercises to promote compensation for the disorder.

Dietary changes and the possibility of pharmaceutical intervention may be recommended depending on the diagnosis that is causing the balance disorder.