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Medical Tests For a Vestibular Disorder
There are number of medical tests that you may undergo in order to determine the cause of your vertigo/dizziness. I have had some of the vestibular testing done such as the The ENG test which is used to determine if dizziness symptoms may be due to inner ear disorder. Any involuntary eye movement the patient displays is recorded via Frenzel goggles while the balance system is stimulated. The ENG test is a:
Other tests I personally have had are:
I can assure you that while some of the above are a little uncomfortable (caloric test) they are all manageable and you will be fine. These tests will tell you if your imbalance is brain related or inner ear related. They can help determine which ear is affected or if both are problematic. It is fairly common in patients with Migraine associated vertigo or Mdds to have all of these tests completed and the results to appear absolutely normal, as in my case. The fact the results come back normal is a huge relief of course but it does not help solve the problem.
If you suffer from chronic dizziness/vertigo for longer than 2 months then push for your GP to send you for these vestibular tests. Not only will they shed light on your situation allowing you to get a firm diagnoses and treatment plan but it will give you the much needed reassurance that what you have is not serious even though it feels like it. It took me a long time to get an MRI scan and ENG tests (2 years) in which time i worried that I had a brain tumor or something else sinister. The uncertainty and worry is not worth going through when you are already going through so much. The relief on seeing my brain scan in all of it's fully functioning glory and being reassured that everything was fine was immense. Get the relevant tests done early so as to ease your mind and then you can focus on getting better.
The Vestibular Disorders association (VEDA) offers a great description of the various vestibular testing available. There is also a fabulous PDF you can read concerning the medical tests you may encounter. Simply Google search "Diagnostic Tests For Vestibular Disorders" and the vestibular.org PDF should be at the top of the search results.
- Caloric test
- Tracking test
- Positional test
- Calibration test
Other tests I personally have had are:
- MRI scan
- Hearing tests x 5
- In office neurological tests
- Blood work
- ECG
I can assure you that while some of the above are a little uncomfortable (caloric test) they are all manageable and you will be fine. These tests will tell you if your imbalance is brain related or inner ear related. They can help determine which ear is affected or if both are problematic. It is fairly common in patients with Migraine associated vertigo or Mdds to have all of these tests completed and the results to appear absolutely normal, as in my case. The fact the results come back normal is a huge relief of course but it does not help solve the problem.
If you suffer from chronic dizziness/vertigo for longer than 2 months then push for your GP to send you for these vestibular tests. Not only will they shed light on your situation allowing you to get a firm diagnoses and treatment plan but it will give you the much needed reassurance that what you have is not serious even though it feels like it. It took me a long time to get an MRI scan and ENG tests (2 years) in which time i worried that I had a brain tumor or something else sinister. The uncertainty and worry is not worth going through when you are already going through so much. The relief on seeing my brain scan in all of it's fully functioning glory and being reassured that everything was fine was immense. Get the relevant tests done early so as to ease your mind and then you can focus on getting better.
The Vestibular Disorders association (VEDA) offers a great description of the various vestibular testing available. There is also a fabulous PDF you can read concerning the medical tests you may encounter. Simply Google search "Diagnostic Tests For Vestibular Disorders" and the vestibular.org PDF should be at the top of the search results.