Dizziness, Age-Related Balance Loss and Falls

Article submitted by Marian Girardi, PhD.
For more information, she can be reached at 630-305-0403.

Everyone experiences dizziness and/or loss of balance at some point. More than 20 percent of us deal with periodic episodes throughout our lives, while over 2 million seniors in this country fall and sustain serious injuries annually. In fact, falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for those individuals over age 65 and the number one reason older adults are admitted to nursing homes.

When we are healthy and younger, we are able to maintain balance because the brain is continually receiving and processing signals from at least three major sources: the eyes, the muscles and joints, and the vestibular system (inner ear and brain). The brain then determines how the body is positioned relative to the ground. When we are biking, swimming, hanging from the jungle gym, dancing, etc., our balance is finely tuned to the nuances of every position we take...and all is working well. Then, over time, many adults decrease exercise and activity levels. This diminishes our muscle strength, coordination, and joint flexibility. Studies show that people tend to loose about .5% of their balance every year from about the age of 20. Little wonder that when we reach our fifth decade, that finely tuned system which hasn't biked, danced, or climbed for so long can get easily confused when confronted with simple movements.

Individually, balance problems can be embarrassing, annoying, frustrating, frightening and even cause people to curtail their daily activities because of a fear of falling. To further complicate things, seniors are more likely to suffer from conditions that adversely affect balance, such as: cerebrovascular atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), diabetes, depression and arthritis. Quality of life is compromised for these individuals due to the fallers' diminished sense of well-being, decreased mobility, and reduction in social interaction.

Now the good news! Studies show that when a combined program of vestibular therapy and specialized physical therapy is initiated prior to or following the initial fall, the senior will reduce their falls risk, as well as improve strength, mobility, range of motion, and balance. Successful retraining directly translates into increased activity and quality of life.

While there are very few resources for those who suffer with dizziness or balance disorders, Fall Prevention Clinics of America in Naperville, Illinois specializes in the customized testing, diagnosis and treatment of patients looking for help with balance issues and dizziness.

Dan is a healthy 20-year-old college student who has suffered with frequent episodes of dizziness and nausea for three years with no relief. Sarah is 59 and works in an insurance office. Over the course of a month, she would periodically get up from her desk and experience a scary, dizzy disorientation before falling back into her chair. Eileen is a 76-year-old retiree who recently stopped shopping with her friends, because she would sometimes lose her balance and fall when looking into store windows.

These folks are examples of people who suffer from dizziness or age-related balance loss and falls and were successfully diagnosed and treated.