Balance Problems

Overview

The term balance problems covers a wide range of conditions from dizziness to faintness to light-headedness. Normal balance requires your muscle strength to be in tune with three systems of senses: visual, vestibular (found in the inner ear) and somatosensory (sensations from the skin, muscles, tendons and joints). When these systems aren't functioning well, you may experience symptoms of a balance problem, falls and have trouble focusing your eyes. Different medical conditions can cause different types of balance problems. Most balance problems are due to issues in the vestibular system.

Why Choose Mayo Clinic

• Experience. Mayo Clinic specialists diagnose and treat thousands of people for balance problems each year.
• Diagnosis capabilities. Mayo Clinic offers the latest specialized tests to help identify the cause of your balance problem. Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and Arizona are among the few medical centers in the country to offer comprehensive testing in state-of-the-art vestibular/balance laboratories.
• Team approach. A team of specialists from ear, nose and throat medicine (ENT), neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry and psychology, and physical medicine works together to identify the source of your balance problem and recommend a treatment approach, after discussing the options with you.