Why do balance and equilibrium decrease with age?

Answer 1

A person's sense of balance is established by the contributions of three systems: the vestibular system (the cochlea and its fluids and respective nerve structures), the visual system and the muscular-skeletal system.

As people age, the sensitivity of each of these systems is decreased, consequently impacting the ability to balance. The rate of deterioration of these systems can be affected by injury or trauma, disease, harmful chemicals etc. The main cause of decreased balance and equilibrium is damage to the vestibular system, located in the inner ear.