Feeling like you’re swaying on the deck of a boat, balance problems can have a major impact on your daily life. They may express a neurological pathology, a vision problem or hypotension. But they can also result from taking certain medications or from inner ear disorders. In the event of balance disorders, it is therefore important to consult to determine the cause. Find out what the possible causes of your balance problems are.
1. Hypotension, a factor in balance disorders
You may experience dizziness, lightheadedness, and trouble with balance when you suddenly move from a sitting position to standing. This is orthostatic hypotension. It results in an excessive drop in blood pressure when moving to a standing position, informs the MSD Manual. Orthostatic hypotension can have various causes, such as drug treatment or prolonged bed rest.
2. Inner ear disorders causing balance disorders
As specified by the University Hospitals of Geneva, the inner ear plays a major role in the balance system thanks to the vestibular system that it houses. The vestibular system is in fact a sensory organ equipped with sensors that stabilize the visual field during movements. If the vestibular system malfunctions, as is the case in Ménière’s disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) or vestibular neuritis, balance disorders and dizziness appear. Ménière’s disease manifests itself by rotating dizziness, tinnitus, nausea and vomiting. BPPV causes brief moments of dizziness when you move your head, due to movement of calcium crystals in your inner ear. Vestibular neuritis, for its part, results from inflammation of the auditory nerve and causes violent and sudden vertigo, nystagmus (involuntary oscillation of the eyes), nausea, but not tinnitus, specifies the site Lesvertiges.com.
3. Neurological diseases, sources of balance disorders
Clinical signs of some neurological diseases may include balance disorders. Among these neurological diseases, we find Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, but also a brain tumor, head trauma, epilepsy or even a stroke or a TIA (transient ischemic attack).
4. Other potential causes of balance disorders
Other factors can cause balance problems. Thus, poor vision (strabismus, cataract, glaucoma, myopia, etc.) does not allow clear images to be sent to the brain to find its way in space. An electrolyte imbalance (lack of sodium, potassium, magnesium, etc.) can also lead to balance disorders. Finally, certain medications (antiepileptics, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, etc.) can have the side effect of disrupting your balance.
Sources
- Dizziness and Vertigo, The MSD Manual – Consumer Version, December 2022
- Some causes of dizziness and balance problems, table available on the MSD Manual – Healthcare Professionals Version
- Balance disorders and dizziness, University Hospitals of Geneva, December 15, 2021
- The different types of dizziness and their treatments, Site lesvertiges.com, the information site on dizziness and its treatments, ENT department of Salpêtrière Hospital (APHP) and CNRS UMR 9010 – Paris Descartes University and ENS Paris Saclay 4