Loss of balance - Causes and Symptoms

Definition

A loss of balance means an instability of the body in relation to the surrounding objects. In practice, although you are still, standing or sitting, you feel a sensation of movement.

This annoying symptom is the result of disorders of the vestibular ear or neurological pathologies. In the first case, the instability is usually associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating and hypoacusis (neurovegetative manifestations), while in the loss of balance due to diseases of the nervous system it is possible to find neurological signs (such as diplopia, blurred vision, nystagmus, ataxia, muscle weakness and loss of consciousness).

Loss of balance can be caused by dizziness, inner ear infections or inflammation (otitis and labyrinthitis), Ménière's syndrome and head injury.

The sensation of staggering is also found in the case of very intense physical activity, change in atmospheric pressure and motion sickness (car sickness or seasickness).

Even subjects with inadequately corrected visual disturbances frequently have problems with their sense of balance.

At the base of the phenomenon, there can be cardiac rhythm disorders, such as tachycardia, extrasystoles and fibrillation. In arterial hypotension, on the other hand, there is a sense of dizziness, associated with a sense of weakness, palpitations, auricular buzzing, headache, dyspnea, visual blurring and, sometimes, lipotimia.

Loss of balance is among the possible consequences of iron deficiency anemia and cervical arthrosis.

Multiple sclerosis may present with vertigo, even persistent, associated with instability.

A sense of instability can also depend on the use of some medicines (eg salicylates, oral contraceptives and certain antibiotics) and alcohol in high doses.

Loss of balance is one of the symptoms of some tumors, as in the case of acoustic neuroma.