Q: I am 27 years old suffering from a feeling of unsteadiness all the time (since last year). If I do not hold on to anything, I feel I will fall down. I underwent all the tests (CT scan, ear test, health check-up and ortho tests). The doctors did not find anything wrong with me. I have sinus and bleeding gums, but apart from that, I do not have any other disease. My blood pressure is normal. What is wrong with me?

A:Unsteadiness as a symptom has multiple underlying mechanisms for its causation. One of the common symptoms is of vertigo, which is in fact a sensation when the entire environment in and around a person seems to be moving / reeling / spinning, and the person has the feeling of being drawn into it. From your history, it appears that you don't have vertiginous sensations. The other systems that cause such feelings are cerebellar (two little brains that hang below the big brains called cerebrum) involvement and occur primarily due to in-coordination. At times, sensory nerves or the sensory tracts of spinal cord can get involved in a variety of diseases, which may again produce the symptom of unsteadiness. This is particularly common in our country due to vitamin B12 deficiency in strict vegetarians. Finally, generalised deficiency states like moderate to severe anaemia can cause a sense of fatigue and unsteadiness at times. I suggest that a consultation with a good neurologist may be rewarding.