Vestibular & Balance Testing

Understanding Your Balance System

Balance is something we often take for granted—until dizziness, vertigo or unsteadiness begins to affect everyday life. Your balance system is a complex network involving the inner ear, eyes and brain. Withinthe inner ear is the vestibular system, which detects head movement and helps your brain maintain balance, spatial awareness and stable vision.

When the vestibular system is not functioning properly, you may experience

Dizziness or vertigo
Unsteadiness or imbalance
Difficulty walking or maintaining balance

Blurred or unstable vision when moving your head
Nausea or motion sensitivity
Increased risk of falls

What Is Vestibular Testing?

Vestibular testing is a series of non-invasive assessments used to evaluate how well yourinner-ear balance system and its connection with your eyes and brain are functioning.A comprehensive assessment can help identify whether balance symptoms may be related tothe inner ear (peripheral vestibular system) or other parts of the nervous system (centralcauses).Understanding the underlying cause can help your healthcare team determine the mostappropriate next steps, including further medical assessment, treatment or vestibularrehabilitation.

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Our Comprehensive Vestibular Assessment

At SmartHearing, our vestibular assessment may include a combination of advanced testsselected according to your symptoms and clinical needs.

Video Nystagmography (VNG)

VNG uses infrared cameras to precisely track eye movements during a series of controlled tests. Eye movements provide important information about how the vestibular system and brainwork together to maintain balance and visual stability.

Assessment may include:

Spontaneous and gaze-evoked nystagmus
Oculomotor assessment
Optokinetic testing
Positional testing
Head-shaking testing
Other clinically indicated vestibular assessments

Video Head Impulse Test (vHIT)

The Video Head Impulse Test evaluates the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR), which helps keep your vision stable while your head moves. The test assesses the function of all six semicircular canals in the inner ear.

Key features include:

Quick and non-invasive assessment
High-speed eye tracking
Accurate measurement of head and eye movements
Assessment of all six semicircular canals
Objective results to support clinical diagnosis

Subjective Visual Vertical (SVV)

Subjective Visual Vertical testing assesses the otolith organs, which contribute to our perception of upright position and gravity.

SVV can assist in:

Identifying abnormalities in the perception of verticality
Assessing certain otolith disorders
Investigating persistent or chronic dizziness
Supporting assessment of acute vestibular disorders
Monitoring vestibular compensation and rehabilitation

Common Causes of Balance Disorders

Dizziness and balance problems can have many possible causes, including:

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
Vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis
Ménière’s disease
Vestibular migraine
Head injury or concussion
Age-related changes in the vestibular system
Cervicogenic dizziness
Neurological conditions
Acoustic neuroma and other vestibular disorders
Medication-related effects
Other medical or systemic conditions

When to Refer Your Patients

Refer for vestibular testing if your patient has:

Persistent dizziness or vertigo
Frequent falls or unexplained imbalance
Post-concussion dizziness
Slurry Speech
Visual blurring when moving the head
Meniere’s disease, vestibular migraine or BPPV
Chronic fatigue or anxiety linked with dizziness
Ringing Sound in Ear

What Is Vestibular Testing?

Our Comprehensive Vestibular Assessment

Take the First Step Towards Better Balance

Common Causes of Balance Disorders

When to Refer Your Patients