Balance is made possible due to connections between your inner ear, your eyes, your brain and the rest of your body. As you move, your brain determines your head position by processing information transmitted from nerves in the vestibular system of the inner ear, as well as visual input from your eyes. Then, it sends messages to your muscles, joints and skin that allow you to remain stable and upright.
As you age, changes in the vestibular system can interfere with your brain’s ability to track your head position. Many seniors also develop some degree of vision impairment, which further impedes the brain. Other things can worsen the problem, including:
The causes of balance changes combine to make seniors less steady on their feet and more at risk for fall accidents as a result.
Although there isn’t any way to prevent the age-related changes that occur in the inner ear, there are some things you can do to adjust to balance changes and lower your likelihood of suffering a fall. Follow these tips to support balance as you age.
Getting regular exercise has been shown to improve balance. Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise like brisk walking, water aerobics and dancing also help strengthen the heart and can reduce the risk of heart disease, while strengthening exercises can enhance muscle and joint health.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises seniors to strive for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week and perform full-body strengthening workouts at least twice weekly. If you’re new to exercise, ask your health care provider what kinds of activities are right for you. You may want to start slowly and gradually work your way up to get the full amount of exercise the CDC recommends.
In addition to aerobic and strengthening exercises, the CDC suggests that seniors perform balance exercises regularly. Balance exercises are simple to perform and can be done in the comfort of home. Try slowly moving from sitting to standing and back again 10 times in a row or walking across the room heel to toe.
Yoga has also been shown to improve balance. You can find yoga workouts geared specifically for balance on YouTube or sign up for a class at one of the many yoga studios located in Ellisville.
Dizziness can worsen balance issues, and a number of prescription medications can cause the symptom. Specifically, some antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, blood pressure medications, sedatives and tranquilizers have been associated with dizziness.
If you’re taking one of these medications and experiencing balance issues, talk to your health care provider to find out if you might benefit from switching to a different drug.
Mobility aids like canes, walkers and rollators can provide extra support and help you maintain better balance as you walk. Depending on your specific symptoms, you may want to use a mobility aid every day, or you might only need to utilize one when you’re running errands or doing other activities that involve a lot of walking.
Your health care provider can help you select the right type of mobility aid based on your health history and current symptoms, and in many cases, Medicare will help cover some of the cost.
Selecting the right shoes can help to decrease your risk of falls, making it important that those with balance issues are choosy about their footwear. When shopping for a new pair of shoes, look for styles that:
Once you have a great pair of shoes, be sure to inspect them regularly and replace them whenever you begin to notice wear on the soles.
If you’re noticing changes in your balance, talk to your health care provider. They can perform an examination and order tests to determine if your symptoms are due to aging or an underlying medical condition. In addition, they can give you personalized advice on how to cope with balance issues and help you explore potential treatments, such as medications for dizziness and vertigo, vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) and physical therapy.
