Falls Among Elderly Often Caused by Inner-Ear Imbalance - TIME

Falls Among Elderly Often Caused by Inner-Ear Imbalance - TIME: "Most likely, things start going awry simply due to advancing age, Agrawal says. Smoking, hypertension and diabetes are also associated with higher rates of inner-ear balance problems. Fortunately, the condition is easily diagnosable in the doctor's office: patients are asked to stand on a firm padded surface and close their eyes. Without the ability to use touch and vision to stay balanced, patients who suffer from an inner-ear problem promptly fall down. The addition of that simple test to annual physicals, Agrawal says, 'would likely save millions of dollars and lives.'"