There are numerous diseases that can lead to balance problems. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders--a division of the National Institutes of Health--a balance disorder is a condition in which a person feels dizzy or unsteady, as though she is moving, spinning or floating, even while standing still or lying down. Balance disorders can be caused by medical conditions, medications or inner ear or brain problems.
Positional Vertigo
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV, also known as positional vertigo, is a disease that can lead to balance problems. According to the Merck Manuals website, positional vertigo is triggered when a person moves his head, such as when he rolls over in bed or bends over to pick up something, and the vertigo--the feeling of motion when a person is stationary--lasts from a few seconds to several minutes. The Merck Manuals website notes that bouts of positional vertigo tend to peak in the morning and diminish throughout the day, and that nausea and vomiting may accompany the dizziness. Positional vertigo is believed to be caused by the displacement of otoconial crystals--calcium carbonate crystals usually embedded in parts of the inner ear--that stimulate hair cells in the ear's posterior semicircular canal, which creates the sensation of motion. Causes of positional vertigo may include otitis media, ear surgery and recent viral infection.
Labyrinthitis
Labyrinthitis is a disease that can lead to balance problems. The Vestibular Disorders Association, or VDA, states that labyrinthitis, along with vestibular neuritis, is a disorder caused by an infection of the inner ear or the vestibulo-cochlear nerve--the eighth cranial nerve--that links a person's inner ear and brain. According to the VDA, common symptoms associated with labyrinthitis include vertigo, dizziness, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, and balance, vision or hearing problems. Labyrinthitis often manifests suddenly and without warning, and severe dizziness may develop quickly during a person's activities of daily living. In other cases, though, labyrinthitis-related symptoms are present when a person wakes up in the morning. Labyrinthitis recovery is gradual and can occur over a period of several weeks. While some people make a full recovery, others experience chronic dizziness and balance problems, depending on the degree of damage sustained by the vestibular nerve.
Meniere's Disease
Meniere's disease can lead to balance problems. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, Meniere's disease can cause severe dizziness and balance problems, along with tinnitus, temporary hearing loss and ear pressure or pain, and it typically affects just one ear. Although scientists and the medical community do not yet know the cause of Meniere's disease, it's believed that it may be associated with fluid levels or the mixing of fluids in a person's inner ear canals. Meniere's disease symptoms arise spontaneously and can occur every day, although some people only experience symptoms once a year. A typical bout of Meniere's disease involves the combination of severe dizziness, tinnitus and hearing loss that lasts for several hours. According to the Mayo Clinic, Meniere's disease complications can include falls, accidents, depression, anxiety and permanent hearing loss.
References
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: Balance Disorders
- Merck Manuals: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
- Vestibular Disorders Association: Labyrinthitis and Vestibular Neuritis
- National Institutes of Health: Meniere's Disease
- MayoClinic.com: Meniere's disease
