{"id":410095,"date":"2025-11-28T07:14:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T07:14:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/410095\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T07:14:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T07:14:24","slug":"is-your-clumsiness-normal-watch-for-these-3-red-flags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/410095\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Clumsiness Normal? Watch For These 3 Red Flags."},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re one of those people who never seems to trip over your own two feet, bump into furniture or break your favorite drinking glass, consider yourself lucky. Many of us identify with being at least a little clumsy, and generally, it\u2019s something to laugh about. <\/p>\n

Sometimes, however, clumsiness can be a sign of a bigger issue than just needing a bandage or waiting for a bruise to heal. It can be indicative of a larger issue related to our brains. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a variety of medical problems that can lead to clumsiness, including general medical conditions, hormonal dysfunction, visual problems and neurological disorders,\u201d said Dr. Alessandro Di Rocco<\/a>, the director of neurology, Parkinson\u2019s and movement disorders at Northwell Health. <\/p>\n

\u201cAmong the more common neurological problems are \u2018mini-strokes,\u2019 due to occlusion of small blood vessels in the brain, neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson\u2019s disease and Alzheimer\u2019s disease, which develop frequently in older individuals, or other neurological disorders, including accumulation of fluid in the brain (hydrocephalus), inflammation and peripheral nerve disease (neuropathy),\u201d Di Rocco added.<\/p>\n

Before you panic and turn to Google<\/a> for more information (please don\u2019t), we consulted doctors who specialize in brain health to find out the specific clumsiness-related signs you may need to see a doctor about for further evaluation. Here\u2019s what they had to say:<\/p>\n

1. You\u2019re having more frequent accidents or injuries.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Neuropsychologist Sanam Hafeez<\/a> said that, from a medical standpoint, it\u2019s important to consider that a certain degree of clumsiness is typical. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe average person may have moments of clumsiness, which can include knocking over objects or spilling a drink, but it\u2019s usually nothing to worry about,\u201d Hafeez said, noting that sometimes clumsiness can be a side effect of anxiety.<\/p>\n

However, a sign that your clumsiness isn\u2019t normal is a sudden increase in accidents or injuries, she said. So if you notice you\u2019re falling often or getting into minor accidents, it can be a good idea to see a doctor to get to the root of what\u2019s going on. <\/p>\n

2. Functions you normally have no issue with become difficult.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When functions we normally have no problem executing become difficult or impaired, clumsiness may be a sign of a larger medical problem, Di Rocco said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor instance, even an individual who has never been too dexterous with manual tasks may start dropping objects, having difficulty typing or walking, or start falling more,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

3. Your clumsiness feels new and jarring.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For a lot of us, a little bit of clumsiness is part of our daily lives. But it could be a sign that your clumsiness isn\u2019t normal if you find yourself thinking, \u201cWhy can\u2019t I keep my balance?\u201d or \u201cWhy do I keep dropping my phone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNormal clumsiness is something you have always had since childhood,\u201d said Dr. Amparo Gutierrez<\/a>, a neurologist with the Orlando Health Neuroscience Institute. \u201cNew clumsiness that develops over hours or days is abnormal, and medical advice should be sought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Di Rocco also underscored this. <\/p>\n

\u201cChanges in dexterity or an awareness of becoming clumsy should prompt a medical evaluation, especially if the clumsiness is persistent and not occasional,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Increased<\/p>\n

Charday Penn via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Increased injuries and accidents from clumsiness are signs that you should speak with your doctor.<\/p>\n

Increased clumsiness isn\u2019t always serious, but you should get checked out to be sure.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While a sudden acceleration in clumsiness could be a sign of a serious health issue, there can also be other explanations with simpler fixes. <\/p>\n

\u201cAn increase in clumsiness could be attributed to deficiencies in vitamins or minerals like vitamin B12 or magnesium,\u201d Hafeez said. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s also possible that a new medication is causing clumsiness, in which case you can speak to your doctor about adjusting your dose or trying something else. <\/p>\n

An increase in clumsiness can also be a normal part of the aging process, according to Di Rocco.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is normal function or clumsiness at age 30 is very different than at age 70,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

For example, people tend to have more trouble with balance as they age and may fall more frequently, but that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean there\u2019s anything serious going on with their brain.<\/p>\n

With all that in mind, if you\u2019re worried about an uptick in clumsiness, it\u2019s always a good idea to speak with a health professional. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you notice persistent clumsiness that interferes with your daily activities or seems to be worsening over time, it\u2019s a good idea to see a doctor,\u201d Hafeez said. \u201cIf clumsiness is accompanied by other symptoms such as a severe headache, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, difficulty speaking, confusion, vision changes, dizziness or loss of balance, see a doctor immediately.\u201d <\/p>\n

Clumsiness is a normal part of being human. But if it starts to interfere with your daily life or you notice an abrupt change in your motor skills, be sure to speak with a medical provider as soon as possible. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you\u2019re one of those people who never seems to trip over your own two feet, bump into…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":410096,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[16880,210,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-410095","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-brain-health","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115626093710082330","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=410095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/410096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=410095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=410095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}