As people grow older, they may have difficulty with their balance. Nearly 8 million American adults report having a chronic problem with balance. An additional 2.4 million American adults report having a chronic problem with dizziness alone.

Having good balance means being able to control and maintain your body's position, whether you are moving or remaining still. An intact sense of balance helps you

• walk without staggering
• get up from a chair without falling
• climb stairs without tripping

Good balance is important to help you get around, stay independent, and carry out daily activities.

Many people experience problems with their sense of balance as they get older. Disturbances of the inner ear are the main cause. People feel unsteady, or as if they were moving, spinning, or floating.

Vertigo, the feeling that you or the things around you are spinning, is also a common symptom.

Balance disorders are one reason older people fall. Falls and fall-related injuries, such as hip fracture, can have a serious impact on an older person's life. If you fall, it could limit your activities or make it impossible to live independently. Many people often become more isolated after a fall.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of adults ages 65 years and older fall each year. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths.

There are many types of balance disorders. One of the most common is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV. With BPPV, you experience a brief, intense feeling of vertigo that occurs when you change the position of your head.

You may also experience BPPV when rolling over to the left or right, upon getting out of bed in the morning, or when looking up for an object on a high or low shelf. BPPV is more likely to occur in adults ages 60 and older, but can also occur in younger people.

In BPPV, small calcium stones in the inner ear become displaced, causing a person to feel dizzy. The reason they become displaced is not known, although it may be caused by an inner ear infection, head injury, or aging.

Another type of balance disorder is labyrinthitis. This is an infection or inflammation of the inner ear causing dizziness and loss of balance. The labyrinth is the organ in your inner ear that helps you maintain your balance.

Ménière's disease is a balance disorder that causes a person to experience

• vertigo
• hearing loss that comes and goes
• tinnitus, which is a ringing or roaring in the ears
• a feeling of fullness in the ear.

It affects adults of any age. The cause is unknown.

There are many ways to treat balance disorders. Treatments will vary depending on the cause. See your doctor if you are experiencing dizziness, vertigo, or other problems with your balance.

1. Your sense of balance is important because it

2. Balance disorders

3. Vertigo is

4. Older adults need to be especially mindful of their balance because

People are more likely to have problems with balance as they get older. But age is not the only reason these problems occur; there are other causes, too. In some cases, you can help reduce your risk for certain balance problems.

Have you ever felt dizzy, lightheaded, or as if the room were spinning around you? These can be very troublesome sensations. If the feeling happens often, it could be a sign of a balance problem. Balance problems are among the most common reasons that older adults seek help from a doctor.

Some balance disorders are caused by 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 result in a balance problem.

The part of the inner ear that is responsible for balance is the labyrinth. When the labyrinth becomes infected or swollen, often through an ear infection such as otitis media, it can cause dizziness and loss of balance. This condition is called labyrinthitis.

Upper respiratory infections and other viral infections, as well as stress, fatigue, allergies, smoking, or alcohol use, also can increase the risk for labyrinthitis.

Balance problems can also result from taking certain medications. For example, some medicines, such as those that help lower blood pressure, can make a person feel dizzy. Ototoxic drugs are medicines that damage the inner ear. Sometimes the damage lasts only as long as you take the drug; other times it is permanent. Some antibiotics are ototoxic. If your medicine is ototoxic, you may feel off balance. Check with your doctor if you notice a problem while taking a medication.

Diseases of the circulatory system, such as stroke, also can cause dizziness and other balance problems. Smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease increase the risk of stroke. Low blood pressure also can cause dizziness to occur.

Your diet and lifestyle can help you manage certain balance-related problems. For example, Ménière's disease, which causes vertigo and other balance and hearing problems, is linked to a change in the volume of fluid in the inner ear.

By eating low-salt or salt-free foods, and steering clear of caffeine and alcohol, you can make its symptoms less severe. Balance problems due to high blood pressure can be managed by eating less sodium, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising.

The ear infection otitis media is most common in children, but adults can get it too. You can help prevent otitis media by washing your hands frequently. Also, get a flu shot every year to stave off flu-related ear infections. If you still get an ear infection, see a doctor immediately before it becomes more serious.

Do you take medication? If so, ask your doctor if your medicine is ototoxic, or damaging to the ear. Ask if other drugs can be used instead. If not, ask if the dose can be safely reduced. Sometimes it cannot. However, your doctor will help you get the medicine you need while trying to reduce unwanted side effects.

1. Balance disorders may be caused by

2. The part of the inner ear that is responsible for balance is

3. Ototoxic drugs are medicines that

4. People with Ménière's disease may control their vertigo

Some people may have a balance problem without realizing it. Others might think they have a problem, but are too embarrassed to tell their doctor, friends, or family. You can help identify a possible balance problem by asking yourself some key questions and, if necessary, having your balance checked by a doctor.

Balance disorders can be difficult to diagnose because patients sometimes find it hard to describe their symptoms to a doctor. Patients may use words such as "dizzy," "woozy," or "lightheaded" to describe what they are feeling. For some people, the feeling can be brief, while for others, it can last a long time, disrupting their daily lives.

Balance disorders are serious. Sometimes they are a sign of other health problems, such as those affecting the brain, the heart, or circulation of the blood. They are also one cause of falls and fall-related injuries in older people. For these reasons, it is important to have a potential balance disorder diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, you should discuss the symptom with your doctor.

• Do I feel unsteady?
• Do I feel as if the room is spinning around me?
• Do I feel as if I'm moving when I know I'm standing or sitting still?

• Do I lose my balance and fall?
• Do I feel as if I'm falling?
• Do I feel "lightheaded," or as if I might faint?
• Does my vision become blurred?
• Do I ever feel disoriented, losing my sense of time, place, or identity?

If you think that you have a balance disorder, you should schedule an appointment with your family doctor. You can help your doctor make a diagnosis by writing down key information about your dizziness or balance problem beforehand and giving the information to your doctor during the visit. Tell your doctor as much as you can.

Write down answers to these questions for your doctor:

• How would you describe your dizziness or balance problem?
• How often do you have dizziness or balance problems?
• Have you ever fallen? If so, when did you fall, where did you fall, and how often have you fallen?

Write down answers to these questions for your doctor:

• What medicines do you take? Remember to include all over-the-counter medicines, including aspirin, antihistamines, and sleep aids.
• What is the name of the medicine?

Write down answers to these questions for your doctor:

• How much do you take each day?
• What times of the day do you take the medicine?
• What is the health condition for which you take the medicine?

Your doctor may refer you to an otolaryngologist. This doctor and surgeon has special training in problems of the ear, nose, throat, head, and neck.

An otolaryngologist may ask you for your medical history and perform a physical examination to help figure out the possible causes of the balance disorder. He or she may also perform tests to determine the cause and extent of the problem.

1. Balance disorders

2. Dizzy spells

3. One sign of a possible balance disorder is

4. A doctor with special training in the ear, nose, throat, head, and neck is called

Your doctor can recommend strategies to help reduce the effects of a balance disorder. Scientists are studying ways to develop new, more effective methods to treat and prevent balance disorders.

Balance disorders can be signs of other health problems, such as an ear infection, stroke, or multiple sclerosis. In some cases, you can help treat a balance disorder by seeking medical treatment for the illness that is causing the disorder.

Some exercises help make up for a balance disorder by moving the head and body in certain ways. The exercises are developed especially for a patient by a professional who understands the balance system and its relationship with other systems in the body.

In benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV, small calcium stones in the inner ear become displaced, causing a person to feel dizzy. An otolaryngologist can treat BPPV by carefully moving the head and torso to dislodge these stones.

Ménière's disease is caused by changes in fluid volumes in the inner ear. People with Ménière's disease can help reduce its dizzying effects by lowering the amount of sodium, or salt, in their diets. Limiting alcohol or caffeine also may be helpful.

Some antibiotics, such as gentamicin, also are used to treat Ménière's disease. Although these antibiotics can help reduce the dizziness that occurs with Ménière's disease, they can also result in permanent hearing loss. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to relieve a balance disorder.

Scientists are working to understand the complex interactions between the brain and the part of the inner ear responsible for balance. They are also studying the effectiveness of certain exercises as a treatment option for balance disorders.

In one NIDCD-funded study, researchers have created a virtual reality grocery store in which people with balance disorders walk on a treadmill as they scan virtual store shelves for a certain item. The goal is to help reduce a person's dizziness in confusing environments. NIDCD-supported scientists are currently studying the use of a vestibular implant in balance-impaired animals. Further development of this approach may one day be used in people with balance problems to help stabilize eye gaze during head movements.

1. A balance disorder could be a sign of

2. One possible treatment for Ménière's disease is

3. Antibiotics such as gentamicin, which can be used to treat Ménière's disease, can have the following side effect:

4. NIDCD-funded researchers are working to help people with balance disorders reduce dizziness in confusing environments by having them:

A balance disorder is a disturbance of the inner ear that can make people feel unsteady or as if they were moving, spinning, or floating. Balance disorders are one cause of falls and fall-related injuries, such as hip fracture.

Roughly 8 million adults report having problems with balance. An additional 2.4 million American adults report having a chronic problem with dizziness alone.

Having good balance means you are able to control and maintain your body's position, whether you are moving or still. An intact sense of balance helps you walk without staggering, get up from a chair without falling, and climb stairs without tripping.

Good balance is important to help you get around, stay independent, and carry out daily activities.

There are many types of balance disorders. One of the most common among older adults is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or BPPV. With BPPV, you experience a brief, intense feeling of vertigo that occurs when you change the position of your head.

You may also experience BPPV when rolling over to the left or right upon getting out of bed in the morning, or when looking up for an object on a high shelf. In BPPV, small calcium stones in the inner ear become displaced, causing a person to feel dizzy. The reason they become displaced is not known, although it may result from an inner ear infection, head injury, or aging.

Another type of balance disorder is labyrinthitis. This is an infection or inflammation of the inner ear causing dizziness and loss of balance. The labyrinth is an organ of the inner ear that helps you maintain your balance.

Ménière's disease is a balance disorder that causes a person to experience

• vertigo
• hearing loss that comes and goes
• tinnitus, which is a ringing or roaring in the ears
• a feeling of fullness in the ear.

It affects adults of any age. The cause is unknown.

Balance disorders can have a serious impact on an older person's life. They are one reason older people fall. A fall or a life of limited physical activity due to balance disorders can lead to health problems, isolation, and loss of independence.

Falls and fall-related injuries, such as hip fracture, are the leading cause of death and disability for older adults.

Some balance disorders are caused by 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 result in a balance problem.

The part of the inner ear that is responsible for balance is the labyrinth. When the labyrinth becomes infected or swollen, often through an ear infection such as otitis media, dizziness and loss of balance can occur. This condition is called labyrinthitis.

Upper respiratory infections and other viral infections as well as stress, fatigue, allergies, smoking, or alcohol use also can lead to labyrinthitis.

Yes. Some medicines, such as those used to lower blood pressure, can make a person feel dizzy. Other medicines might damage the inner ear. These medicines, called ototoxic medicines, can make you feel off balance. Some antibiotics are ototoxic. Check with your doctor if you notice a problem while taking a medication.

Yes. Diseases of the circulatory system, such as stroke, can cause dizziness and other balance problems. Smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease increase the risk of stroke. Low blood pressure also can cause dizziness to occur.

Your diet and lifestyle can help you manage certain balance-related problems. Ménière's disease is linked to a change in the volume of fluid in the inner ear. By eating low-salt or salt-free foods, and steering clear of caffeine and alcohol, you can make its symptoms, such as vertigo, less severe.

Balance problems due to high blood pressure can be managed by eating less sodium, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising. Balance problems due to low blood pressure may be managed by drinking plenty of fluids, such as water, avoiding alcohol, and being cautious regarding your bodys posture and movement, such as avoiding crossing your legs when sitting and standing up slowly.

An ear infection called otitis media can cause balance problems. Otitis media is most common in children, but adults can get it, too. You can help prevent otitis media by washing your hands frequently. Also, get a flu shot every year to stave off flu-related ear infections. If you still get an ear infection, see a doctor immediately before it becomes more serious.

If you take medication, ask your doctor if your medicine is ototoxic, or damaging to the ear. Ask if other drugs can be used instead. If not, ask if the dose can be safely reduced. Sometimes it cannot. However, your doctor will help you get the medicine you need while trying to reduce unwanted side effects.

Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, you should discuss the symptom with your doctor.

• Do I feel unsteady?
• Do I feel as if the room is spinning around me?

• Do I feel as if I'm moving when I know I'm standing or sitting still?
• Do I lose my balance and fall?
• Do I feel as if I'm falling?

• Do I feel "lightheaded" or as if I might faint?
• Does my vision become blurred?
• Do I ever feel disoriented, losing my sense of time, place, or identity?

If you think that you have a balance disorder, you should schedule an appointment with your family doctor. Your doctor may refer you to an otolaryngologist. This doctor and surgeon has special training in problems of the ear, nose, throat, head, and neck.

An otolaryngologist may ask you for your medical history and perform a physical examination to help figure out the possible causes of the balance disorder. He or she may also perform tests to determine the cause and extent of the problem.

You can help your doctor make a diagnosis by writing down key information about your dizziness or balance problem beforehand and giving the information to your doctor during the visit.

Write down answers to these questions for your doctor:

• How would you describe your dizziness or balance problem?
• How often do you have dizziness or balance problems?
• Have you ever fallen? If so, when did you fall, where did you fall, and how often have you fallen? Tell your doctor as much as you can.

Write down answers to these questions for your doctor:

• What medicines do you take? Remember to include all over-the-counter medicines, including aspirin, antihistamines, or sleep aids.
• What is the name of the medicine?

Write down answers to these questions for your doctor:

• How much medication do you take each day?
• What times of the day do you take the medicine?
• What is the health condition for which you take the medicine?

Balance disorders can be signs of other health problems, such as an ear infection, stroke, or multiple sclerosis. In some cases, you can help treat a balance disorder by seeking medical treatment for the illness that is causing the disorder. Exercises, a change in diet, and some medicines also can help treat a balance disorder.

Some exercises help make up for a balance disorder by moving the head and body in certain ways. The exercises are developed especially for a patient by a professional who understands the balance system and its relationship with other systems in the body.

In benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV, small calcium stones in the inner ear become displaced, causing a person to feel dizzy. An otolaryngologist can treat BPPV by carefully moving the head and torso to dislodge these stones.

Ménière's disease is caused by changes in fluid volumes in the inner ear. People with Ménière's disease can help reduce its dizzying effects by lowering the amount of sodium in their diets. Limiting alcohol or caffeine also may be helpful.

Some antibiotics, such as gentamicin, also are used to treat Ménière's disease. Although these antibiotics can help reduce the dizziness, they can also result in permanent hearing loss.

Scientists are working to understand the complex interactions between the brain and the part of the inner ear responsible for balance. They are also studying the effectiveness of certain exercises as a treatment option for balance disorders.

In one NIDCD-funded study, researchers have created a virtual reality grocery store in which people with balance disorders walk on a treadmill as they scan virtual store shelves for a certain item. The goal is to help reduce a person's dizziness in confusing environments.

NIDCD-supported scientists are currently studying the use of a vestibular implant in balance-impaired animals. Further development of this approach may one day be used in people with balance problems to help stabilize eye gaze during head movements.