What nerve affects balance?

The vestibular nerve
vestibular nerve
The vestibulocochlear nerve or auditory vestibular nerve, also known as the eighth cranial nerve, cranial nerve VIII, or simply CN VIII, is a cranial nerve that transmits sound and equilibrium (balance) information from the inner ear to the brain.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Vestibulocochlear_nerve
is primarily responsible for maintaining body balance and eye movements, while the cochlear nerve
cochlear nerve
The cochlear nerve (also auditory nerve or acoustic nerve) is one of two parts of the vestibulocochlear nerve, a cranial nerve present in amniotes, the other part being the vestibular nerve. The cochlear nerve carries auditory sensory information from the cochlea of the inner ear directly to the brain.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Cochlear_nerve
is responsible for hearing.
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Does nerve damage cause balance issues?

Nerve conditions that can affect balance

Your nervous system sends information from your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body. If a part of this system is damaged, the signals can't be transmitted effectively, which leads to balance issues and falling.
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What neurological conditions cause balance problems?

Causes
  • Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). ...
  • Vestibular neuritis. ...
  • Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness. ...
  • Meniere's disease. ...
  • Migraine. ...
  • Acoustic neuroma. ...
  • Ramsay Hunt syndrome. ...
  • Head injury.
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What cranial nerves affect balance?

Cranial nerve VIII. CN VIII (vestibulocochlear nerve) involves the vestibular nerve (small portion) and cochlear nerve (large portion), which transmit balance sense and sound from the internal ear, separately.
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What happens if the glossopharyngeal nerve is damaged?

Glossopharyngeal nerve lesions produce difficulty swallowing; impairment of taste over the posterior one-third of the tongue and palate; impaired sensation over the posterior one-third of the tongue, palate, and pharynx; an absent gag reflex; and dysfunction of the parotid gland.
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Dizziness, balance problems, and blood pressure swings can be from upper cervical instability



Can sciatica nerve cause balance problems?

The symptoms of sciatica or peripheral neuropathy are easy to confuse. Both conditions cause pain, numbness, and tingling in the legs and feet. The impact on your strength and balance may also make falls more likely.
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What is losing balance a symptom of?

Balance disorders can be signs of other health problems, such as an ear infection, stroke, or multiple sclerosis. In some cases, you can help treat a balance disorder by seeking medical treatment for the illness that is causing the disorder.
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Should I see a neurologist for balance issues?

Our neurologists and neurosurgeons diagnose and treat balance dysfunction that is the result of neurologic disorders or neurologic impairment. While the vast majority of balance problems are caused by problems with the inner ear, there may be neurological causes for balance disorders which require neurological care.
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What is the main cause of balance problems?

Causes of balance problems include medications, ear infection, a head injury, or anything else that affects the inner ear or brain. Low blood pressure can lead to dizziness when you stand up too quickly.
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What deficiency causes balance problems?

Untreated, vitamin B-12 deficiency can lead to neurological problems, such as persistent tingling in the hands and feet or problems with balance. It can lead to mental confusion and forgetfulness because vitamin B-12 is necessary for healthy brain function.
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Why do I feel off balance but not dizzy?

Common causes include inner ear problems, medicines, infections, and traumatic brain injury. These disorders can occur at any age. But they are most common as you get older. Treatment depends on the underlying cause and can include medicine, rehabilitation, and lifestyle changes.
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How do I know if my vestibular nerve is damaged?

Symptoms and Causes
  1. Sudden, severe vertigo (spinning/swaying sensation)
  2. Dizziness.
  3. Balance difficulties.
  4. Nausea, vomiting.
  5. Concentration difficulties.
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What is the best treatment for balance problems?

Treatment
  • Balance retraining exercises (vestibular rehabilitation). Therapists trained in balance problems design a customized program of balance retraining and exercises. ...
  • Positioning procedures. ...
  • Diet and lifestyle changes. ...
  • Medications. ...
  • Surgery.
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How does a neurologist check for nerve damage?

By measuring the electrical activity they are able to determine if there is nerve damage, the extent of the damage and potentially the cause of the damage. Frequently the neurologist will recommend common, noninvasive neurological evaluations such as electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) testing.
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What causes balance problems when walking?

Most balance problems occur because of brain or inner ear problems, or physical issues, such as broken bones or muscle injuries. Balance problems can make it difficult to walk or move.
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Can spinal stenosis cause balance problems?

Rarely, untreated severe spinal stenosis may progress and cause permanent: Numbness. Weakness. Balance problems.
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What part of the body controls balance?

The inner ear is home to the cochlea and the main parts of the vestibular system. The vestibular system is one of the sensory systems that provides your brain with information about balance, motion, and the location of your head and body in relation to your surroundings.
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Can bulging disc cause balance problems?

Q2. Can a herniated disc cause balance problems? A herniated disc can cause imbalance by two main mechanisms. One is weakness of the leg muscles, which could result from compression of the nerve roots (lumbar spine) or spinal cord (cervical or thoracic spine).
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Why am I so unsteady on my feet?

What causes a balance disorder? Inner ear problems are common causes of a balance disorder, especially in younger people. Other causes can include medicine side effects, vision problems, problems with nerves in the legs or feet, allergies, infections, arthritis, anxiety, low blood pressure, and dehydration.
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What neurological disorders cause balance problems NHS?

Labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis are problems with different parts of the inner ear, which are needed for balance: Labyrinthitis is inflammation of the labyrinth – a maze of fluid-filled channels in the inner ear.
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What happens if cranial nerve 11 is damaged?

Supranuclear lesions of the eleventh nerve cause moderate, often transient, impairment of function of the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles, due to the bilateral innervation. In the spinal cord the nuclei can be involved in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, syringomyelia, polio, and intraspinal tumors.
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What are symptoms of vagus nerve damage?

Potential symptoms of damage to the vagus nerve include:
  • difficulty speaking.
  • loss or change of voice.
  • difficulty swallowing.
  • loss of the gag reflex.
  • low blood pressure.
  • slow heart rate.
  • changes in the digestive process.
  • nausea or vomiting.
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What happens if vagus nerve is damaged?

If the vagus nerve becomes damaged by physical trauma or the growth of a tumor, it may cause digestive symptoms, or hoarseness, paralysis of the vocal cords and slowed heart rate.
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Can the vestibular nerve repair itself?

The body has limited ability to repair damage to the vestibular organs, although the body can often recover from vestibular injury by having the part of the brain that controls balance recalibrate itself to compensate.
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