The organ of balance is located in the inner ear. It is closely connected to the balance center in the brain. Nevertheless, other organs or senses also help with a person’s sense of balance. The hearing, eyes, skin and musculature, to mention just a few examples, all help to gather information about the earth’s gravity and acceleration. Very often a balance disturbance is also experienced as dizziness, and occasionally patients also report a coordination disturbance.
Signs of balance disorders are
- Unsteadiness when sitting, standing or walking unaided (unsteady gait), with a tendency to sway, turn or fall
Causes
Balance disorders mostly have a harmless cause. An example of this would be seasickness or after spinning quickly around, as well as after getting out of bed too quickly. Medications can also sometimes trigger a balance disorder. Nevertheless, a balance disorder can also be a symptom of certain diseases. Like dizziness, it can indicate a stroke, acute cerebral hemorrhage, brain tumor, meningitis, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy or craniocerebral injury.
