Balance disorders refer to the sense of equilibrium. This is necessary to ensure posture and orientation. Balance disorders belong to the category of disorders of consciousness.
What are balance disorders?
The organ of balance is located in the inner ear. Its medical term is: Verstibulum. It is also closely coupled to the center of balance in the cerebellum. Nevertheless, other human organs or senses are also responsible for the sense of balance. Hearing, eyes, skin and musculature are only mentioned as examples. General signs of balance disorders are usually characterized by dizziness, visual disturbances and nausea. In extreme situations, loss of consciousness can even occur with a balance disorder.
Causes
As a rule, balance disorders have harmless causes. An example of this would be seasickness, when there are strong waves or after turning quickly around its own axis, as well as after getting out of bed too quickly. However, a balance disorder can also be a symptom of illness. For example, low blood pressure, high blood pressure, concussion, sunstroke, meningitis and mushroom poisoning.
Diseases with this symptom
- Mushroom poisoning
- Concussion
- Meningitis
- Migraine
- Sunstroke
- Multiple sclerosis
- Dementia
- Transient ischemic attack
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- Burnout syndrome
- Meniere’s disease
- Stroke
Complications
Most complications of vestibular disorders are falls. The result is often broken bones, bruises, abrasions of the skin or lacerations. The most common cause of vestibular disorders is alcohol abuse; in this case, the patient must stop drinking or complications will recur. If a brain tumor has been diagnosed, balance disorders are not uncommon. The tumor must be removed, of course, and surgery is usually required. However, if the tumor is detected in time, the symptoms can still be controlled with medication or radiation, but in this case the patient suffers from balance disorders all the time. Although a drug can alleviate the worst symptoms somewhat, the balance disorders are not cured until the tumor disappears. The sense of balance is located in the ear and complications often arise during treatment of middle ear infection. For example, bacteria can invade the inner ear and cause hearing loss or tinnitus. The eardrum can also scar and sometimes bony adhesions form on the inner ear. Irreparable hearing impairment is the result. If a middle ear infection is not treated, it can spread and affect the so-called mastoid. If the mucous membrane here is inflamed, doctors diagnose mastoiditis. This complication can also be seen externally; a painful swelling and reddening of the skin develops behind the ear. At worst, it develops into meningitis or the facial nerves become paralyzed.
When should you go to the doctor?
A balance disorder originates in the inner ear. The vestibule, an organ of balance with close connections to the cerebellum, is located there. In addition, the eyes and hearing support the sense of balance and, complementarily, the sensitive tactile sensations of the skin and the muscles responsible for compensatory movements. A balance disorder manifests itself through a feeling of dizziness, nausea and visual disturbances. It may help to simply wait and sit or lie down. Overexertion, circulatory problems and sunstroke are common triggers of a balance disorder. They do not always require medical treatment. Likewise, seasickness can often be managed with rest and tablets obtained in advance, or the ship’s doctor on board will take care of the passenger. There are, however, some serious conditions in which impaired balance is a symptom. These include, for example:
- Hypertension
- Concussion
- Meningitis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Meniere’s disease
- Burn-out
- Dementia
Notorious for balance disorders is also the benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: in this case, the small crystals located in the vestibule of the inner ear move, causing the impression of movement in the organ of balance and causing a feeling of vertigo. This is where the ear, nose and throat specialist is needed. In the case of other causative diseases for a balance disorder, the otolaryngologist works together with the other specialists needed in each case, such as internists or neurologists.
Treatment and therapy
First, it should be clarified what the underlying cause of a balance disorder is. It should be clarified how often and since when balance disorders occur and whether they occur at rest or also in motion. Furthermore, it should be checked whether medication is also a possible cause. During a medical examination, reflexes, mobility and sensations are checked. The doctor usually performs coordination tests, such as the Romber standing test, to assess the sense of balance. Further investigation, depending on the cause, may include hearing tests, blood tests, electroencephalography (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electromyography (EMG), computed tomography (CT), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling. If the vestibular disorders are of a hamperless nature, such as during ship or bus travel, antivertigenosis, i.e., anti-dizziness drugs, as well as anti-nausea drugs (antiemetics) can help prevent and alleviate them. Balance disorders that occur due to stroke and similar causes may need to be treated surgically.
Outlook and prognosis
If the balance disorder occurs only for a short time, no treatment by the doctor is necessary. This is especially the case if the balance disorder occurs while traveling by bus, boat, train, or plane. In these cases, the balance disorder is also accompanied by nausea and vomiting and is a common symptom in many people. In this case, medications for travel nausea can be taken to limit the balance disorder. However, this disappears again when the trip is over. If the balance disorder occurs after a stroke, it usually needs to be treated by surgery. Impaired balance also occurs when alcohol and other drugs are consumed, and in this case it is just as harmless. It then disappears again when the respective substance has been broken down in the body. Stress and burnout can also cause disequilibrium. Here, treatment by a psychologist is advisable, which in most cases leads to a positive course of the disease. It is not uncommon for patients to complain of a balance disorder after a concussion. Complications can arise here because the cause of the disorder is unknown. If there is bleeding in the brain or other traumatic damage, immediate surgical intervention is necessary. In most cases, however, a balance disorder is harmless if it is temporary.
What you can do yourself
In most cases, a balance disorder can be treated relatively well. If the balance disorder occurs especially during travel, anti-dizziness medications can be taken. These calm the nervous system at the same time and thus also ensure a pleasant and relaxed journey. These drugs are also used to treat nausea and vomiting. The balance disorder occurs to different degrees in different people when traveling. In order to avoid nausea and vomiting in general, only little food should be eaten while traveling. In many cases, attending physical therapy or taking up an athletic activity will help. In general, a healthy lifestyle helps to combat balance problems. This includes a healthy diet and taking up a sport activity. If the balance disorder arises after a severe accident or after a stroke, there is usually no possibility of self-help. In this case, a surgical intervention must be performed, which is carried out by a doctor. If the balance disorder is relatively severe, the patient should sit down and rest. Often, increased fluid intake has a positive effect on the balance disorder. If the balance disorder occurs after the consumption of alcohol or other drugs, withdrawal must take place. As a rule, the symptom disappears on its own when alcohol is no longer consumed.
