Balance and dizziness testing

CDP measures how your eyes, ears, nerves, and muscles work together to help you maintain balance while standing. During the test, you stand on a platform. We check your balance when the platform is still and moving, and when your eyes are open and closed.

A rotational chair test, or rotary chair test, measures coordination between your inner ear and eyes when you’re in motion. You sit in a motorized chair that turns from side to side at different speeds. You wear special goggles that record your eye movements.

VEMP evaluates the parts of your inner ear that regulate your body’s orientation in space, or how you position your body in relation to your environment. Electrodes attached to your head and neck record muscle movements as you turn and lift your head.

VNG uses video goggles to track how your brain signals eye movements. A similar test called electronystagmography (ENG) uses electrodes instead of goggles. We evaluate how your eyes move when you look at different targets and move your head or body. VNG and ENG detect nystagmus (uncontrolled, jerky eye movements), a common symptom of balance disorders.

VHIT evaluates how well you focus your vision as your head moves. The test can tell us if there’s a problem with the canals inside your inner ear. You wear goggles and look at a stationary target. The goggles record your visual field as you rotate your head from side to side.

Some balance disorders also cause hearing loss or tinnitus. Hearing evaluations, or audiometry, help us measure how well you hear sounds and words at different pitches and loudness. Most hearing tests use earphones, but some use electrodes to measure how nerves respond to sounds.

We may use imaging exams to check the bones and soft tissue inside your ear. An MRI or CT scan can help us locate abnormal growths, tumors, fractures, infections, and other conditions that can affect your balance.

In most cases, you don’t have to do anything special to prepare for balance and dizziness testing. Your care team will give you instructions about how to get ready. If you take medication for dizziness, it’s important not to take it on the day of your appointment. Your health-care provider will let you know if there are other medications you should avoid before testing.

Additional tips to prepare for vestibular testing include:

• Arrange for someone to drive you home after testing.
• Don’t drink alcohol for 48 hours before testing.
• Don’t eat for two hours before testing.
• Don’t wear eye makeup or contact lenses.
• Wear comfortable clothing.

Some people have a headache, nausea, or dizziness for a short time after vestibular testing. Your reaction will depend on the tests you have and your underlying condition. Tell your care team if you feel sick during or after testing so they can help you feel more comfortable.