What causes balance problems and dizziness after a brain injury?
Our sense of balance comes from the interaction of three systems in our body:
- eyesight,
- the vestibular system (inner ear), and
- proprioception (the brain’s ability to sense where parts of our body are spatially).
Problems with balance can stem from damage to any parts of these systems, and a brain injury can affect all three. For example the trauma of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can damage the inner ear, while a stroke could affect parts of the brain responsible for our sense of balance.
Other possible causes include:
- infection or trauma to the inner ear
- low blood pressure
- medication side effects.