POOR BALANCE AND DIZZINESS

Imbalance and dizziness are very common conditions which should be reported to your physician. Believe me, you are not alone if you suffer from a balance disorder. Write down as much as you know about your symptoms and take your notes with you when you see your Doctor AND your Audiologist. A detailed history is extremely helpful in determining what testing you need and in making a proper diagnosis.

Primarily, the brain uses information sent to it by your joints, eyes and ears to insure that you have good balance and can move around safely. The part of the ear that helps control balance is called the vestibular labyrinth. Because the ear may be contributing to your symptoms physicians will often refer patients for an in-depth hearing evaluation and a battery of balance tests including ENG/VNG and Dynamic Computerized Posturography.

Please relax, needles are NOT used in any of these tests. With ENG/VNG your audiologist will record, most often with video goggles, certain eye movements that are controlled by the vestibular labyrinth of the ear. These eye movements, some of which are referred to as nystagmus, can be very helpful in determining the health of the vestibular part of your balance system. The Dynamic Computerized Posturography evaluation is administered either by an audiologist or a physical therapist to isolate and measure information sent to the brain from the visual, vestibular (ear) and somatosensory (joints) systems of the body.

Please remember that in about half of all patients suffering imbalance the cause of the disorder is never determined and for some, the imbalance will be lifetime. However a significant number of patients will get better and with the right therapy substantially improve their quality of life.