While the commercial has been repeated so often that it has become something of a punchline, it reflects a real problem for close to 15 percent of American adults, according to the National Institutes of Health. That’s more than 30 million people who reported a balance problem or dizziness in the last year.
Balance disorders is the formal name for the affliction, defined as a condition in which the afflicted feels unsteady or dizzy in its mild form or has the sensation of spinning in its more severe cases (also described as vertigo). This feeling can be experienced while lying down, standing or sitting, or while in motion. It’s described as feeling like you may be tipping over, spinning, floating or moving. It’s a condition that four in 10 Americans may experience at some point in their lives as a serious condition that may require a doctor visit.
There are many reasons why someone would experience a balance problem. They can be caused by an imbalance in the inner ear or brain, a general health condition like low blood pressure or an infection, arthritis, eye muscle imbalance, a head injury, or as the result of ingesting certain medicines. Obviously, it can complicate life to the point of debilitation, and any prolonged issues have psychological ramifications.
The Symptoms
Balance problems are typically associated with falling or the feeling like you’re going to fall, dizziness, a lightheaded or floating sensation, fainting, blurred vision, and, in some cases, disorientation or confusion. They may also bring nausea or vomiting, changes in heart rate and blood pressure, diarrhea, anxiety, or outright fear and panic. When the symptoms come and go, they often can lead to fatigue and depression.
Diagnosing a balance disorder is difficult because the conditions tend to manifest and then depart rather quickly, often without an apparent cause. Your doctor may refer you to a specialist known as an otolaryngologist. This is a physician who specializes in ear nose, neck and throat problems. The otolaryngologist likely will run a series of tests to determine the root cause of your balance issues, including exams of hearing, blood and brain.
You may undergo an electronystagmogram, which measures eye movements and the controlling muscles of the eye. Another potential test is the posturography, which requires a patient to stand on a movable platform in front of a patterned screen. You will be measured on your responses to the movement of the platform and the screen images.
Balance Disorder Tests
There are more than a dozen balance disorders the doctors will check, but the most common are:
1) Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) or positional vertigo: This is a brief moment of vertigo trigged by the position of your head. It typically occurs when you bend down, look way up or back over your shoulder but also can occur when rolling over in bed. It is related to weight on the cupula, an inner ear organ.
2) Labyrinthitis: This is an inflammation of the inner ear that can be caused by an upper respiratory infection, resulting in dizziness or loss of balance.
3) Meniere’s disease – Believed to be associated with a change in fluid volume within the labyrinth, this condition results in hearing loss, tinnitus or vertigo
4) Vestibular neuronitis: The vestibular nerve becomes inflamed, usually by a virus, and causes vertigo.
5) Perilymph fistula – Fluid leaking from the inner ear into the middle ear can cause this form of unsteadiness, which can occur after a head injury and typically worsens with activity. It can be caused by dramatic changes in air pressure (a diver’s malady), ear surgery, chronic ear infections or may be a congenital issue.
6) Mal de Debarquement – Sufferers feel like they are constantly bobbing or rocking. Because the malady occurs after sea travel, it usually fades with time. But some cases can go on for years, and scientists and researchers still don’t know why it occurs.
FOUR EXERCISES TO HELP
If you are suffering from a disease or physical affliction, your doctor will recommend treatment. But if you are currently not seriously out of balance and want to improve the muscles that help keep you steady, here are four things you can do.
1) Standing on One Leg: This is the ultimate balance test because it challenges your body to compensate for the missing limb. You can do this while performing other household tasks, or do it with your eyes closed for a greater challenge. Try to hold the one-legged pose for about 30 seconds.
2) Walking Heel to Toe: There’s a reason the friendly police officer asks you to do this outside your vehicle. It’s a good test of your ability to maintain balance, and it’s very hard to do, even when stone-cold sober in front of the county courthouse at high noon. Take two dozen steps heel to toe, forward and back, while keeping a straight line.
3) Balance on a Board or Couch – Try the one-legged balancing trick on a sofa to increase the challenge of staying upright. Or if you have access to a gym, try the balancing board, which will test your stability while rocking back and forth on a board suspended from cables.
4) Squats – It’s important to have strong leg muscles that can support your balance. Keep your arms out and slowly lower yourself into an imaginary chair, maintaining your balance. Then slowly rise out of the invisible chair. Your ability to do this while staying steady is a good indication of your skill level.