Sense of Balance: Truth AND Consequences | Steven Rauch | TEDxKenmoreSquare

Summary

This script delves into the intricacies of human balance, a complex system integrating sensory inputs from the ears, eyes, and muscles. It discusses how balance issues can arise from sensory conflicts or aging, affecting mobility and independence. The speaker emphasizes the importance of maintaining balance through physical activity and proper healthcare, illustrating with the case of an elderly woman and offering practical solutions like vision checks, medication reviews, and physical therapy.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The sense of balance is a complex system that integrates information from various parts of the body, including the ears, eyes, and muscles.
• 👂 There are five balance organs in each ear that help detect head movements and contribute to our sense of balance.
• 👀 Vision plays a crucial role in balance by providing spatial orientation and helping to stabilize gaze during movement.
• 💊 Sensory conflicts, such as those experienced in motion sickness, occur when there is a mismatch between the inputs from the ears, eyes, and muscles.
• 👶 Learning to balance is a developmental process that begins in infancy and involves coordinating various sensory inputs.
• 🌐 Damage to the balance system, such as from trauma or disease, can require relearning balance similar to learning a second language.
• 👵 Aging can lead to a progressive decline in balance due to a combination of factors affecting the ears, vision, and musculoskeletal system.
• 🏥 The healthcare system's compartmentalization can make it difficult for patients with balance issues to receive comprehensive care.
• 🏠 Environmental modifications and lifestyle changes can significantly improve balance and reduce the risk of falls in older adults.
• 🚶‍♀️ Regular physical activity and maintaining an active lifestyle can help preserve and improve balance as we age.
• 🌟 The human balance system is a remarkable feature that allows us to move with precision and fluidity, and it's essential to use it to maintain its effectiveness.

Q & A

What is the primary difference between the sense of balance and other senses?

The sense of balance is different from other senses because it integrates information from various parts of the body, including the five balance organs in each ear, vision, and the feeling in muscles and joints, whereas other senses have a single input, such as seeing with eyes, smelling with the nose, and hearing with ears.

How does the brain process the information related to balance?

The brain processes balance information by integrating inputs from the balance organs, vision, and muscle and joint sensations. This information converges in the balance part of the brain, where it is integrated to give a sense of spatial orientation and balance. The brain then sends messages back out to the eyes for stable gaze and to the legs for standing, walking, and dancing.

What happens when there is a sensory conflict in the balance system?

When there is a sensory conflict, such as when the inputs from the ears, eyes, and muscles are not in agreement, it can cause feelings of dizziness and discomfort. For example, being below deck in a ship can cause motion sickness because the ears and muscles sense motion, but the eyes see a stationary environment.

How does motion sickness occur and how can it be alleviated?

Motion sickness occurs when there is a conflict between the senses, like when the eyes see a still environment while the ears sense motion. It can be alleviated by reestablishing harmony between the senses, such as going on deck where vision confirms the rolling motion sensed by the ears and muscles.

Why is it challenging for patients with balance issues in the current healthcare system?

Patients with balance issues face challenges because the healthcare system is organized by organ systems and medical specialties, and the balance system is distributed throughout the body. This means there is no single specialist who 'owns' the balance system, making it difficult for patients to receive comprehensive care.

What is the average duration and number of doctors seen by patients with chronic dizziness before they are treated effectively?

On average, patients with chronic dizziness have been symptomatic for three years and have seen nine other doctors before they receive effective treatment.

What is progressive disequilibrium of aging and what causes it?

Progressive disequilibrium of aging is a condition where various parts of the balance system decline, often due to aging. Causes include reduced balance information from aging ears, impaired vision, ill-fitting footwear, and sedative medications that affect the brain's processing of balance information.

What are some interventions that can help improve balance in elderly patients like Mrs. Kelly?

Interventions include improving vision, managing foot health, reducing unnecessary medications, physical therapy for fall risk management and conditioning, and making the home environment safer with night lights, handrails, and non-slip surfaces.

Why is it important to maintain balance as we age?

Maintaining balance as we age is crucial because balance declines with age, and dizziness is a common complaint leading to falls. Falls can result in severe injuries and significantly increase the risk of death, especially among seniors.

What advice does the speaker give to maintain and improve balance?

The speaker advises maintaining and improving balance through activities such as using stairs, parking further away and walking, carrying hand baskets, participating in balance-focused classes like Tai Chi, Pilates, or dance, and generally being more active to use the balance system.