Balance Center
Vestibular Disorder Testing
Vestibular Disorder Testing
Vertigo and balance disorders can easily disrupt a person’s way of life. When a vestibular disorder is suspected, there are different tests that a clinician might perform to determine the cause of your disorder.
Because vertigo and balance problems can be related to different parts of the body, including the brain, the eyes, the inner ear, and the peripheral nervous and musculoskeletal systems, your physical exam will check a range of different factors to determine the cause or causes of your symptoms.
Some signs that you might have a vestibular disorder include:
- Dizziness which may or may not be vertigo
- Recurrent falls with no obvious cause
- Ataxia
- Chronic imbalance
- Hearing loss especially if it is primarily in one ear or if it occurred at the same time as your vertigo or imbalance
We accept patients on a referral basis from other clinicians who are concerned about a vestibular disorder. Your evaluation will start with gold standard rotation and visual-vestibular interaction testing to best assess certain vestibular and brain functions. Some patients are referred only for testing, and some patients are referred for testing and evaluation by an otoneurologist (a neurologist with special training in the vestibular system). Your care team might order additional tests depending on your symptoms and physical exam signs and the outcome of the tests.
Once a diagnosis is confirmed, it is often possible to treat or even to cure the disorder However, it is important to remember that not all disorders can be cured; some can only be managed with supportive care. But as patients, we all deserve to know why a problem exists, and a correct diagnosis will often alleviate anxiety about health even when a problem is not curable.
