my daughters balance is off?

Question

i took my daughter whos 8 years old to the doctors on tuesday. she constantly trips over her own feet n falling the doctor told us that her balance is not right for her age he refered her to a neurologist .should i be very worried

also shes got no arches on her feet is this serious

Answer 1

I am sorry your dear little girl is having trouble, a very simple solution could be her shoes, has she always had this problem or is it recent. If her shoes are to short it can cause her to trip and stumble.

Answer 2

Balance problems can be caused by a few things... neurology (brain) problems, inner ear problems and sensory system problems are probably the most common. The doctor will ask questions to find out specific information that will help them narrow the cause down, such as if she's been off balance her whole life, or if this is something new. I don't know a lot about brain disruptions, etc that may cause balance problems, but I do know about the other two. Some brain disruptions between body signals and balance have to do with an infection such as encephalitis. Inner ear problems (recurrent ear infections) can really mess up a child's equilibrium, the extra fluid can cause a lack of balance. The last one, sensory system problems refers to Sensory Integration Dysfunction. This is one that she would have had her whole life... she would have been clumsy, not aware of her surroundings, bumping into things constantly, etc. In this case, the vestibular system (that resides in your inner ear area) is not functioning properly. For some reason, it is not efficiently telling your daughter's body where it is in space to maintain balance. In any case, make sure to follow up with the neurologist. They will be able to rule out problems with brain function, and get your daughter the help she needs. Good luck!

Answer 3

If it's not an inner-ear problem (which it sounds like it might be), try to think of any past problems your daughter has had (i.e. enlarged head, headaches, blurry vision, vomitting, lethargy, etc.). If ANY of these symptoms sound familiar, tell the neurologist you want him to give your daughter a CT scan as soon as possible. The above symptoms are all caused by a condition called Hydrocephalus. I also had coordination issues when I was her age, and my doctors tried to treat the above symptoms singularly, then when I was 16, I got really sick, and all of these problems hit me at the same time. I had to endure nine brain surgeries, but am now a fully functioning adult, and have no issues related to my illness. While this is not typical for most people in my situation, I was very lucky. If it wasn't for one emergency room doctor who noticed that something was funny, I wouldn't be here to answer this question. Good luck, and I hope that everything turns out allright.

Answer 4

The neurology report will probably be normal. Is the balance issue a recent thing, or has it been constant since she started walking?

I would be more willing to bet that it's something originating in the inner ear as opposed to the brain. Does she swim or do anything else that would upset her ears? Baths could do it, too. If she has sinus problems, post nasal drip can be going into her ears, too.

Being flat-footed is normal, though. My husband is flat-footed. They have procedures that can correct it, though. That's something for a different doctor, though, and not something that needs to be remedied immediately.

Answer 5

Worry won't solve anything. See the neurologist and get some diagnostic work. It could be an inner ear problem that's easily resolved, or it may be something more serious. You won't know until the tests are done.

Meanwhile, keep an eye on your little one, so that she doesn't get hurt!

Answer 6

I had a similar problem, though very minor when I was younger. It was caused by too much fluid in my inner ear. It still affects my balance to this day, but not to a point where it's debilitating in anyway. It just took a little bit longer to develop the coordination to overcome it.

Answer 7

no arches is very common, orthodics fixes this (both of mine have them) For balance I thought a ENT would be the first step. Don't worry till you have something to worry about. Balance problems can normally be fixed. Book into a pediatrist for the fallen arches

Answer 8

I don't know if I'd be looking for another peditrician...My "balance" was off when I was 8 too...not very well co ordinated...walked into walls all the time. Doctor told my mom to put me into dance lessons...within six months I was "cured".

Answer 9

An ear infection or slight hearing loss is usually the cause of this. You did right by taking her to the doctor.

Answer 10

don't worry your self yet. their isn't a point. just make sure that you do your homework on that doctor and if they can't find out what is the matter GET A SECOND OPINION!!! ask about sensory integritation disorder (SID). these tests will check her posture balance coordination and eye movements. this isn't serious and can be fixed.