Balance Problems

Summary

Have you ever felt dizzy, lightheaded, or as if the room is spinning around you? If the feeling happens often, it could be a sign of a balance problem. Balance problems can make you feel unsteady. You may also have blurred vision, confusion, and disorientation. They are one cause of falls and fall-related injuries, such as a hip fracture (broken hip).

Some balance problems are due to problems in the inner ear. Others may involve another part of the body, such as the brain or the heart. Aging, infections, head injury, certain medicines, or problems with blood circulation may also cause balance problems.

It is important to see your doctor about balance problems. They can be a sign of other health problems, such as an ear infection or a stroke. Your doctor may send you to a specialist for a diagnosis. You may need a hearing test, blood tests, or imaging studies of your head and brain. Other possible tests look at your eye movements, and how your body responds to movement.

In some cases, treating the illness that is causing the disorder will help with the balance problem. Exercises, a change in diet, and some medicines also can help.

NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Older Adults

• Balance & Aging Vestibular Disorders Association

Start Here

• Balance Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Children

• Balance Disorders (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Dizziness and Balance Problems in Kids: Spinning Sensations and Unsteadiness National Institutes of Health

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Balance Problems National Institutes of Health

Living With

• Dealing With Dizziness: Getting Help for a Balance Disorder National Institutes of Health
• Improving Balance with Tai Chi Vestibular Disorders Association
• Living with a Vestibular Disorder Vestibular Disorders Association
• Strength and Balance Exercises American Heart Association

Patient Handouts

• Dizziness Medical Encyclopedia
• Vertigo-associated disorders Medical Encyclopedia

Find an Expert

• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Reference Desk

• NIDCD Glossary National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
• Types of Vestibular Disorders Vestibular Disorders Association

Journal Articles

• Balance Problems

Statistics and Research

• Statistics about Hearing, Balance, Ear Infections and Deafness National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Specifics

• Walking (Gait), Balance, and Coordination Problems National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Symptoms

• What are the Symptoms of a Vestibular Disorder? Vestibular Disorders Association