Testing For Vertigo And Balance Disorder

Vertigo, Dizziness, Giddiness are common symptoms that are poorly understood by the patient as well as physicians.

It has been my experience that patients who suffer from a sudden episode of Vertigo reach the emergency unit of hospitals where they are admitted and subjected to a whole range of investigations, including a cardiac evaluation and an MRI of the brain. After a few days, the patient is discharged without reaching a conclusive diagnosis.

It is well known that sudden episodes of Vertigo that incapacitate a patient usually arise out of an Ear pathology.  The cause has to be determined.

For a patient suffering from Giddiness, a detailed history is very important –

  • when do the giddy spells happen, 
  • how long do they last,
  •  any accompanying symptoms like nausea, vomiting, headache, or visual disturbances,
  • what precipitates the attack – like turning in bed, going out in the hot sun, after a period of viral infection?  
  • what medicine do you take to make it better?

For patients in whom we have not reached a diagnosis, we need to test the Vestibular System to locate the level at which the breakdown has occurred. Maintenance of balance is such a complex and automatic activity that it takes a battery of tests to reach a diagnosis.