7 Things Your Balance (Or Lack Thereof) Says About You

By Kasandra Braba

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(Photo: Ken Hermann/Getty Images)

Tripping over a crack in the sidewalk or feeling dizzy every once in a while isn’t usually cause for concern, but when you’re consistently off balance, it could be a sign of an underlying health issue. The best thing to do: see your doc, who’ll be able to tell you if your newfound unsteadiness is just a normal byproduct of aging, or if there’s something more serious going on. Here, 7 potential causes of unsteady balance.

THE MOST LIKELY CAUSES
1. You Have Inner Ear Problems

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(Photo: Getty Images)

Any issue with your inner ear, from an infection to hearing loss, will make you feel unsteady. The inner ear has five, hair-like sensors that manage your balance—three that monitor rotation and two that keep track of up and down motions, says David Zapala, PhD, an audiologist at the Mayo Clinic who specializes in balance disorders. If those sensors either get faulty signals or are unable to send signals to the brain, your balance will suffer.

One of the most common problems doctors see with the inner ear is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). BPPV happens when tiny crystals within your ears get dislodged, float around, and bump into those sensors. The impact sends your brain motion signals it normally wouldn’t get, hence that dizzy feeling.
When to worry: if you’ve experiencing dizziness and vertigo on and off for more than one week.
What you can do: Fear not—there’s an easy solution for BPPV. Your doctor or audiologist will have you make a series of small and slow head movements to send loose crystals into an area of the ear where they don’t cause harm. Just one or two appointments should do the trick.

2. You Have Weak Muscles
Older people often have bad balance—think the “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” commercials. That’s because we lose muscle mass as we age, and weakened muscles struggle to hold up our body weight. That can lead to poor posture; if your body isn’t aligned properly, and your muscles can’t control the alignment, which means making quick movements to avoid a patch of ice can throw you off balance and lead to falls.
When to worry: Many of us become less agile as we age and will feel off balance more often, but if you feel unsteady enough that the fear of falling affects your daily life—meaning you limit the amount of time spent on your feet or cut back on activities—then you should in with your doctor.
What you can do: Make sure to exercise regularly and add balance-building moves to your workouts. Zapala recommends standing on one leg and then the other for as long as you can, near a counter or table for support. Try to increase your time each day, reaching for up to a minute on one leg. Resistance training, like bicycling and weightlifting, builds bone density and strengthens your musculoskeletal frame, adds Kim Bywater, MS, a licensed occupational therapist and Balance Center coordinator at Mohawk Valley Health System in Utica, NY, which increases the amount of lean muscle in your body and improves your ability to adjust to avoid falls.

Related: 8 Moves to Build Incredible Balance—And A Rock Solid Core 

3. Your Meds Are Messing With You

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(Photo: Getty Images)

Dizziness and loss of balance are sometimes included in that long list of side effects that come with medications. “If people are drowsy from medications then it affects their reaction time,” says Bywater. “So they won’t be able to balance as well in the case of sudden disturbances.” And your risk of dizziness or balance problems increases if you’re on multiple medications at the same time. “They may interact and bad reactions, including balance issues, can be amplified,” says Daniel Gold, DO, a neurology professor at John’s Hopkins School of Medicine.
When to worry: Check in with your doctor if your dizziness began after you started taking a new medication or added a new one to your regimen. Some commonly prescribed drugs that affect balance: antidepressants, anti-anxiety medicines, allergy pills, blood pressure medicines, pain relievers, and sleeping pills.
What you can do: If you think your pills could be to blame, talk to your doctor about whether you can change prescriptions. But don’t stop taking a prescription med without checking in with your doctor first.

Related: If You Can’t Stand On One Leg For 20 Seconds, Here’s What It Could Say About Your Brain

4. Your Blood’s Not Flowing Like It Should
A lack of blood flow to your brain is called orthostatic hypotension and is surprisingly common. In one study that tested 938 people 40 and older for the condition, 199 people—or 21%—experienced orthostatic hypotension. It causes low blood pressure, and often happens when you stand up after sitting or lying down, leaving you feeling dizzy and unbalanced.
When to worry: If you regularly feel dizzy or lightheaded after standing up or turning around, you may not be getting enough blood to your brain. Orthostatic hypotension also causes blurry vision, weakness, confusion, nausea, and feeling like you’re spinning.  
What you can do: If you feel lightheaded when standing, make sure to drink enough water (orthostatic hypotension can also be caused by dehydration) and to stand up slowly. The symptoms don’t last long and affect most people at some point. But if you regularly feel this way, talk to your doctor, as some blood pressure medications can help.

THE LESS LIKELY CULPRITS
5. You Have Nerve Damage
A condition called Peripheral neuropathy—which is common in diabetes but can also be a result of infections, vitamin deficiencies, genetic disorders, alcoholism, and other traumas—causes nerve damage in your legs and arms. If the nerves that control muscle function are affected, it can result in lack of coordination, and even frequent falls. “When we’re not getting feeling from our feet, we’re not getting feedback from those nerves to our brain—and that’s one-third of our balance right there,” says Bywater.
When to worry: Balance problems are just one of many symptoms you’ll notice with Peripheral neuropathy. Other signs you may have nerve damage include: sharp or burning pain and numbness in your hands and feet, sensitivity to touch, uncontrollable sweating, digestive problems, dizziness, and muscle weakness.
What you can do: You can’t reverse nerve damage, but catching it early can help you control your symptoms and prevent further problems. Doctors may prescribe medications like pain relievers, antidepressants, and anti-seizure drugs to relieve nerve pain. They also may recommend physical therapy to improve your movement.

Related: Best Treatments For Sciatic Nerve Pain 

6. You Have Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) causes damage, or lesions, to the central nervous system, which includes your brain, spinal cord, and vision nerves. Lesions that develop on different parts of the brain or spinal cord present MS in different ways. “A lesion within the cerebellum, which is a part of the brain responsible for coordinating balance, may lead to unsteady walking and limb control,” says Gold. So while some people with MS will see loss of balance as a first sign, others may feel numbness on one side of the body or blurred vision.
When to worry: See a doctor if you’re suddenly off balance, having problems with your vision or numbness in your hands and feet. And keep these facts in mind: Symptoms of MS usually show up in your 30s and 40s, and the disease is more common among women of Northern European ancestry, says Jamie Bogle, PhD, senior associate consultant at Mayo Clinic Arizona. 
What you can do: If you have significant vision loss or suddenly can’t seem to get your balance, head to the hospital. If your symptoms are more gradual, make an appointment with your doctor, who’ll send you for a brain scan if they feel MS is a concern. There is no cure for MS, but catching it early can help you manage symptoms. Doctors may prescribe medications to treat muscle pain, fatigue, bladder control problems, or depression, as well as physical therapy to strengthen muscles.

Related: Change Your Life In Just 21 Days With Out Transformation Challenge

7. You Have A Brain Tumor
Before you freak out, know that you’re more (like, much much more) likely to have balance issues due to inner ear problems or muscle weakness. But if you’re consistently having problems with your balance, it could indicate a brain tumor. (Tumors that sit on areas of the brain that control movement, coordination, and hearing can cause vertigo and imbalance.) An acoustic neuroma, for example, grows on the main nerve leading from your ears to your brain and throws off balance signals in your inner ear, according to Bogle. Other tumors act in the same way, putting pressure on the nerves that give your brain information about coordination and movement.
When to worry: In addition to balance problems, acoustic neuromas often cause hearing loss on one side and ringing or tenderness in the ear. Tumors in other areas of your brain can cause chronic headaches, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, and confusion.
What you can do: If you think you have a tumor and have noticed a sudden loss of balance in combination with unexplained headaches or other symptoms, tell your doctor immediately. They’ll will likely refer you to a neurologist for brain imaging, says Gold.

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