Hobeika C P
Ear Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45239, USA.
Ear Nose Throat J. 1999 Aug;78(8):558-62, 565-6.
Complaints of dizziness and disequilibrium increase with age. Sixty-five percent of individuals older than 60 years of age experience dizziness or loss of balance, often on a daily basis. Some degree of imbalance is present in all individuals older than 60. This is the result of a generalized functional degradation. Initially, the imbalance is situational and manifests when the righting reflexes cannot meet the demands of a challenging environment, such as a slippery surface. As the functional degradation progresses, the imbalance occurs during everyday activities, independent ambulation becomes difficult, and the likelihood of falls increases. When instability is constant, the individual resorts to the use of a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair.
头晕和平衡失调的主诉随年龄增长而增加。65%的60岁以上个体经常每天都会经历头晕或平衡丧失。60岁以上的所有人都存在一定程度的平衡失调。这是全身功能退化的结果。最初，这种平衡失调是情境性的，当矫正反射无法满足具有挑战性的环境（如湿滑表面）的需求时就会表现出来。随着功能退化的进展，在日常活动中会出现平衡失调，独立行走变得困难，跌倒的可能性增加。当不稳定性持续存在时，个体就会求助于使用拐杖、助行器或轮椅。
