Balance Treatment (Vestibular Testing)

Don’t Let Dizziness Throw Off Your Life’s Balance

Dizziness or loss of balance, sometimes referred to as vertigo, is the second most common complaint that doctors hear. According to the National Institutes of Health, dizziness will occur in 70 percent of Americans at some point in their lives. Whether the dizziness is fleeting or chronic may indicate how serious the potential health risks are to you as an individual.

Equilibrium disorders typically fall into two categories:

• Acute attacks of dizziness, vertigo, or a general loss of balance that may last a few seconds or a few hours
• A persistent sense of imbalance, unsteadiness, or what some people refer to as a loss of sure-footedness

Although you may feel helpless when you’re hit with a dizzy spell, there’s plenty of hope for these balance problems. Proper diagnosis and treatment options have been enhanced over the last decade, making dizziness a much easier problem to resolve.

Videonystagmography

Videonystagmography is the most common test used to evaluate the vestibular system. The patient wears goggles with infrared cameras that record their eye movements while watching lights, in different head and body positions, and when warm and cool air are introduced into the ear canals. The results can identify vestibular dysfunction, as well as central nervous system pathology so that appropriate recommendations can be made.

Emerald Coast Audiology provides expert assessment of balance disorders, which often originate in the vestibular system, found in the inner ear. Please contact us today for a consultation of your unique dizziness and balance difficulties.