Aging and Balance Problems : Treatment and Research

by National Institute on Aging

(Page 4 of 4)

Your doctor can recommend strategies to help reduce the effects of a balance disorder. Scientists are studying ways to develop new, more effective methods to treat and prevent balance disorders.

Balance disorders can be signs of other health problems, such as an ear infection, stroke, or multiple sclerosis. In some cases, you can help treat a balance disorder by seeking medical treatment for the illness that is causing the disorder.

Some exercises help make up for a balance disorder by moving the head and body in certain ways. The exercises are developed especially for a patient by a professional who understands the balance system and its relationship with other systems in the body.

Photo of an otolaryngologist carefully rotating a patient's head and torso to dislodge calcium stones in the inner ear. In benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV, small calcium stones in the inner ear become displaced, causing a person to feel dizzy. An otolaryngologist can treat BPPV by carefully moving the head and torso to dislodge these stones.

Photo of a soup can label showing 620 milligrams of sodium. Ménière's disease is caused by changes in fluid volumes in the inner ear. People with Ménière's disease can help reduce its dizzying effects by lowering the amount of sodium, or salt, in their diets. Limiting alcohol or caffeine also may be helpful.

Some antibiotics, such as gentamicin, also are used to treat Ménière's disease. Although these antibiotics can help reduce the dizziness that occurs with Ménière's disease, they can also result in permanent hearing loss. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to relieve a balance disorder.

Large-scale model of the labyrinth. Scientists are working to understand the complex interactions between the part of the inner ear responsible for balance and the brain. They are also studying the effectiveness of certain exercises as a treatment option for balance disorders.

In 1998, Senator John Glenn, who was 77 years old at the time, took part in a study sponsored by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the National Institute on Aging, and NASA on how well a person recovers balance after returning from the weightlessness of space.

John Glenn and the NASA Balance Experiments Data collected during the mission may help explain how a person recovers from a balance disorder. It may also help researchers develop ways to prevent injury from balance-related falls as people grow older.

Quiz

1. A balance disorder could be a sign of

A. another health problem.
B. not enough calcium in the diet.
C. restlessness.
D. none of the above

A is the correct answer. Balance disorders can be signs of other health problems, such as an ear infection, stroke, or multiple sclerosis.

2. One possible treatment for Ménière's disease is

A. eating more salt.
B. eating less salt.
C. eating less fat.
D. drinking more milk.

B is the correct answer. People with Ménière's disease can help reduce its dizzying effects by lowering the amount of sodium, or salt, in their diets.

3. Antibiotics such as gentamicin, which can be used to treat Ménière's disease, can have the following side effect:

A. hearing loss
B. blindness
C. heart problems

A is the correct answer. Some antibiotics, such as gentamicin, also are used to treat Ménière's disease. Although these antibiotics can help reduce the dizziness that occurs, they can also result in permanent hearing loss.

4. In 1998, Senator John Glenn helped conduct experiments in space to determine

A. how balance disorders affect a person's mood.
B. how well a person can recover from a balance disorder after the weightlessness of space.
C. how balance disorders affect memory.

B is the correct answer. Senator John Glenn took part in a study sponsored by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the National Institute on Aging, and NASA on how well a person recovers balance after returning from the weightlessness of space. Data collected during the mission may help explain how a person recovers from a balance disorder.

About the Author

www.nia.nih.gov
NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people.