When dizziness or vertigo occur, your audiologist will obtain detailed information about your symptoms, including when they began, what seems to bring them on (or make them better or worse) and exactly what sensations are experienced, as well as other specific medical information. 

The entire balance system includes the brain, brainstem, eyes and sensory nerves throughout the body, as well as the organs of balance located in the inner ear. When a person becomes dizzy, an involuntary eye movement, called "nystagmus," occurs. By stimulating the entire balance system and carefully measuring this nystagmus, your audiologist can help your physician determine what is, or is not, causing your dizziness.

Since the balance organs are located in the inner ear, a hearing evaluation is recommended, typically followed by  an  electronystagmography (ENG) or videonystagmography (VNG) testing. ENG and VNG are both the recording and measurement of eye  movements in response to vestibular stimulation; the only difference between the two is how the eye movements are captured and  recorded.

 

• For ENG testing, electrodes are used; they are taped onto the skin around the eyes.
   
• For VNG testing, hi-tech gogles with infrared cameras that utilize video imaging technology are used.
  
  
   

During the exam, eye movements are recorded in various eye, head and body positions, as well as while the patient is asked to do various tasks (e.g. track a dot moving back and forth across the field of vision). 

Caloric testing, part of the ENG/VNG battery, is designed to cause patients to experience some dizziness. Warm and cool air are introduced to the ear canals to stimulate each balance organ independently; the audiologist is looking to see that a similar response is recorded from each ear in both the warm and cool conditions.

Click Here for instructions about to do, and not do, prior to your Vestibular Evaluatoin.