Are People Born With Good Balance?
Balance isn’t an inherent trait—think of a baby’s first steps. Instead, balance is a skill you develop over time that relies on three distinct body systems working in harmony.
Three Systems That Govern Balance
- Visual system: This system consists of the eyes, the optic nerves that connect your eyes to your brain and the visual cortex of your brain. A typical baby is born nearsighted, but as their visual system develops, their brain becomes better at balancing.
- Somatosensory system: This system registers sensations from your joints, muscles, skin and fascia and transfers these feelings to your brain, which processes them to keep you balanced.
- Vestibular system: This system is responsible for hearing and balance and includes five organs in your ear. These organs contain fluid that moves when your body and head do. When the fluid moves, it sends signals to your brain, making you aware of your position in space and helping you stay balanced.
Based on information from all three systems, the central nervous system sends signals to the appropriate muscles to maintain good balance. If one of the three balance systems doesn’t work properly, the body learns to rely more on the two unaffected systems to help compensate.
The Effect of Aging on Balance
Age-related changes to vision and muscle strength can cause older individuals to experience a decline in their balance ability, increasing their risk of falling.
Taking a tumble as a senior is common (more than one in four older adults falls each year), and falls are the leading cause of injury-related death for adults 65 and up.
Like balance, ear health can also be affected by getting older—aging is one of the top causes of hearing loss. The signs of hearing loss can be subtle, so it’s crucial to get regular hearing checkups as you age.
At Pinnacle ENT Associates, our expert team offers balance and hearing testing and treatment that works—contact us today for a consultation.