Do you feel dizzy, unsteady, off balance, or as though the room is spinning? Perhaps you feel like you are walking on a boat, veering to one side, or becoming dizzy when turning your head or getting out of bed. Some people continue to experience these symptoms even though their scans or other medical investigations have been normal.
The important thing to understand is: Dizziness and vertigo are symptoms not diagnoses. Finding out why you are dizzy is the first step towards appropriate treatment.
Dr Deepak Kumar, AuD (Doctor of Audiology) provides specialist vestibular assessment for people experiencing dizziness, vertigo and balance problems.
Although these words are often used interchangeably, they can mean different things:
• Dizziness – feeling light-headed, floating, faint or generally unsteady.
• Vertigo – feeling that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving.
• Imbalance – difficulty staying steady when standing or walking.
These symptoms can arise from the inner-ear balance system (vestibular system), but they can also have neurological, migraine-related, cardiovascular or other medical causes. This is why simply being told you “have vertigo” may not provide the complete answer.
Your balance depends on your inner ears, eyes and brain working together. A specialist vestibular assessment investigates how this system is functioning and can help determine whether an inner-ear balance problem is contributing to your symptoms.
Depending on your history and symptoms, Dr Deepak Kumar may use specialised tests including:
• VNG – assesses eye movements related to the balance system
• Caloric testing – assesses each inner-ear balance system independently
• VHIT – assesses the reflex that keeps vision stable during head movement
• VEMP – evaluates specific parts of the vestibular system
• Diagnostic hearing assessment – particularly important when dizziness occurs with hearing loss, tinnitus or ear pressure
Not every patient needs every test. The assessment is selected according to your individual symptoms and clinical history.“My MRI Was Normal. Why Am I Still Dizzy?”
This is something we commonly hear from patients. A normal MRI does not mean that your dizziness is not real. MRI and CT scans are extremely important, but they primarily look at structure. Vestibular tests provide different information by examining how parts of your balance system are functioning.
For some patients with unexplained dizziness, this can provide an important additional piece of the diagnostic puzzle.
Normal vestibular results can also be valuable. They may help rule out significant dysfunction in the parts of the vestibular system tested and help guide your clinician towards other possible causes of your symptoms. So a normal result does not necessarily mean “nothing is wrong.” It can help determine where we should look next.
When Should You Consider a Vestibular Assessment?
You may benefit from an assessment if you experience:
The organs responsible for hearing and balance sit together within the inner ear. This is why dizziness accompanied by hearing loss, tinnitus, fluctuating hearing or pressure in one ear may require both hearing and vestibular investigation. Looking at hearing and balance together can provide a more complete picture.
The purpose of vestibular testing is not simply to produce test results.
The important questions are:
Following assessment, Dr Deepak Kumar will explain the findings and recommend the appropriate next step.
Depending on the results, this may include vestibular rehabilitation, treatment for positional vertigo, monitoring, balance exercises, or referral to your GP, ENT consultant, neurologist or another appropriate specialist.
Dr Deepak Kumar, AuD (Doctor of Audiology) provides specialist assessment for people experiencing dizziness, vertigo and balance disorders.
Using a combination of clinical history and specialised audio-vestibular testing, the aim is not simply to confirm that you are dizzy but to understand why.
If dizziness or imbalance is affecting your daily life, a formal vestibular assessment may help provide the answers needed to move forward.
If you are experiencing persistent or recurrent dizziness, vertigo or balance problems, contact us to discuss whether a specialist vestibular assessment with Dr Deepak Kumar may be appropriate for you. Don’t just treat the dizziness. Find out why you are dizzy.
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