Dizziness is a common health complaint. It can be caused by a virus, head injury or another condition, such as benign positional vertigo.
A vestibular evaluation can help your doctor diagnose what’s causing your dizziness and determine the correct treatment.
Your provider may use Videonystagmography (VNG) and Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP), non-invasive, painless tests that can evaluate the cause of your dizziness. VNG tests the function of each inner ear as well as the coordination of eye movements. VEMP tests a specific part of the inner ear that gives your body information about acceleration and vestibular nerve function. It also provides information about disorders that cause dizziness when you hear a loud sound.
You may be a good candidate if you:
- Have issues with vertigo, dizziness or imbalance, particularly if you don’t know what’s causing them.
- Have a known cause of dizziness, or you take medication that can cause damage to the vestibular system and you need monitoring.
- Experience dizziness for longer than a month.
As we age, balance issues become more common, but dizziness can happen at any age. These tests are best suited for those who are 10 years old or older.
Goals of testing include:
- Determining if dizziness is coming from the ear or the brain
- Determining if dizziness is vestibular or non-vestibular
- Narrowing down the diagnosis so that a treatment plan can be initiated.
Mary Free Bed uses a team approach for evaluating and treating balance disorders. An audiologist will perform VNG and VEMP testing, working closely with a neurotologist to properly interpret the test results and make appropriate recommendations.
We will share test results with your treatment team if vestibular rehabilitation is recommended.
Additional Resources
Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: Tips from an Audiologist
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