Balance disorder
A condition that impairs steadiness or spatial orientation by disrupting the vestibular system, vision, proprioception, or their integration.
Vestibular system: The inner-ear organs and neural pathways that detect head movement and orientation relative to gravity. Disorders often begin when inner-ear motion signals become weak, distorted, or mismatched.
Dix–Hallpike test: A bedside positional maneuver used to provoke characteristic nystagmus in posterior-canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. It can identify a common, treatable cause of brief position-triggered dizziness.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A disorder in which displaced inner-ear particles trigger brief vertigo during changes in head position. It is a common example of balance symptoms caused by a mechanical inner-ear problem.
Vertigo: A false sensation of spinning or movement, often arising from vestibular dysfunction. Vertigo is one possible symptom of a balance disorder, not a synonym for every impairment.
Proprioception: The sense of body position and movement derived from receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints. Reduced body-position signals can undermine steadiness even when inner-ear function is intact.
Audiometry: The measurement of hearing sensitivity across sound frequencies and intensities. Hearing findings can help evaluate inner-ear disorders that also disturb balance.
Ménière disease: An inner-ear disorder characterized by recurrent vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear pressure. Its attacks combine balance symptoms with distinctive fluctuating auditory symptoms.
Dizziness: A broad symptom description that can include lightheadedness, unsteadiness, disorientation, or a sensation of motion. This broader complaint can arise from balance disorders as well as nonvestibular causes.
Visual system: The sensory and neural system that detects light and supports vision. Vision supplies external orientation cues that can compensate for unreliable vestibular input.
Videonystagmography: A test system that records eye movements to assess vestibular function. Abnormal eye movements can reveal vestibular asymmetry or impaired reflexes.