- Your inner ear is home to the vestibular (balance) system, which consists of three semicircular canals filled with fluid and two otolith organs (the saccule and utricle).
- These canals are lined with hair cells which react to your movements, sending signals to your brain to help you stay upright and keep your vision steady.
- If something disrupts that process, it can leave you feeling dizzy, unsteady or unsure on your feet.
What can cause balance issues?
Many things can affect your balance, and while it’s more common with age, it can happen to anyone at any time. Poor balance may be caused by:
- Hearing loss
- BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) – short episodes of dizziness when you move your head
- Ménière’s disease – sudden dizziness, often accompanied by hearing loss, ear pressure and ringing in the ear
- Vestibular neuritis – swelling in a nerve that helps your brain process balance signals
- Head or neck injuries
- Heart disease
- Migraines
- Motion sickness
- Neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
- Some medications
How do I know if I have a balance problem?
If your vestibular (balance) system isn’t working as well as it should, you may:
- Feel dizzy or lightheaded
- Experience spinning sensations (vertigo)
- Have trouble understanding what people are saying
- Have unpleasant sensations in your ear, like pain, ringing or pressure
- Struggle with your coordination
- Feel worse when you move your head or change position
- Experience nausea, fatigue or difficulty concentrating
The link between balance and hearing
Hearing loss is very common and there are many different types, including:
- Presbycusis (age-related hearing loss)
- Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)
- Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL)
Although your hearing and balance are controlled by different structures, they share the same neural pathways and work together to help your brain understand what’s happening around you. This means that changes in one ear can sometimes affect the other, which is why you often feel dizzy when you have a blocked ear.
When to get extra support
Poor balance doesn’t always mean you have hearing loss or a vestibular condition. But if you’re experiencing poor balance and changes to your hearing that are affecting your confidence, safety or quality of life, it’s a good idea to see an audiologist who will assess your hearing and refer you to a vestibular specialist if needed.
Resonate. The Podcast
Hi, I’m Craig, the audiologist at Resonate New Plymouth.