Vestibular Testing for Washington D.C. and Maryland
Feeling Unsteady on Your Feet?
Noticing that you are having problems with your balance is scary; you do not realize how important a good sense of balance is until you feel dizzy when you stand or have to catch yourself before you fall.
Balance and dizziness problems can be caused by problems in your vestibular system in the inner ear. The vestibular system contains five organs, which send input to your brain. The brain interprets these signals, along with information from the visual and proprioceptive systems, to determine if you are dizzy, imbalanced, or balanced. Feeling unsteady or dizzy can lead to anxiety, impact day-to-day activities, and affect quality of life that requires proper balance. Problems with dizziness can come on unexpectedly, and it may leave you anxious to leave your house, go up or down the stairs, drive, exercise, and complete all daily activities.
Causes of Dizziness and Balance Problems
Dizziness and balance problems can be caused by many different reasons:
- Medications
- Orthopedic problems (E.g. Skeletal or muscular systems)
- Cardiovascular problems
- Otologic or issues within the ear
- Neurological disorders
- Endocrinology conflicts to do with your body’s hormones
- And more!
What Happens during a Videonystagmography (VNG) Test?
PLACEHOLDER
Arrive Early to Your Appointment
Please arrive at least fifteen minutes early to your appointment so that we can check you in and get ready for the appointment with you. We’ll ask a few questions about your dizziness and balance issues and see if we can start to deduce the cause of the dizziness challenges before getting into the testing phase.
We also recommend that you do not wear makeup or any kind of facial lotion to the clinic; products on the face can interfere with the tests and provide inaccurate results. Wear comfortable clothing, as you will be placed in various positions on an exam table. Please do not drink alcohol or caffeine 48 hours before your appointment.
The VNG test will take 1-2 hours to complete.
The VNG Test
The VNG evaluates how the peripheral and central balance systems are working and can help narrow down the causes for your balance issues. The patient wears goggles to track and record eye movement in response to different tasks, such as following a light on a screen, moving in different positions, and sitting still. By testing your eye movement with different tasks, we can see how your vision reacts to stimuli and whether your dizziness is caused by rapid eye movement or physical movement.
The last portion of the testing involves blowing warm and cool air into the ear canal to elicit a dizzy response to see how stimulus to your ear canal and eardrum affects your balance. All patients feel normal after the testing and are able to continue daily activities, including driving home afterwards.
It is important to note that the VNG does not always provide specific, localized information; rather, it gives the audiologist a sense of where in the vestibular system the problem lies. This will help your audiologist make treatment recommendations specific to your condition so that you can get back on your feet without the anxiety of dizziness.
Results and Next Steps
Once all results are obtained, your audiologist will discuss their findings with you and work with you to create a treatment plan to address any balance or vestibular disorders. This may involve referrals for additional testing or to various specialists for further management. Typically, patients receive their results on the same day of testing.
Schedule A Balance Test
If you’re reading this and realizing you may have problems with your balance, you’re in the right place. For residents of Washington D.C. and Timonium and Lutherville, MD, Audiology Associates is offering balance testing at our offices in those locations.
Our team of experienced balance specialists and audiologists can help you regain your balance with the help of non-invasive balance tests that can help you understand why you’re dizzy, what caused it, and help you find a solution.
Schedule a balance test with us today and feel steady on your feet once more!
