Many people with a balance disorder may feel dizzy or experience nausea or headache. Researchers say this happens when a person's vestibular system isn't working properly. It's this system that sends information to the brain about head motion and body position.
A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine estimates that one-third of US adults 40 and older have this disorder. That makes them 12 times more likely to have a serious and potentially fatal fall.
Researchers are now urging balance testing to become part of basic primary care.
