South Louisiana’s Dizziness and Balance Disorder Experts
Did you know that your balance is directly linked to your ears? That constant nausea or dizziness you’re experiencing could potentially be a direct result of a larger hearing issue or hearing loss, but don’t worry, treating this is our specialty.
The balance disorder test is very similar to the hearing test, with an emphasis on a physical examination of your inner ear, which is carried out by one of our highly trained Doctors of Audiology.
Using a number of advanced methods, we can identify the source of your condition and pursue the best treatment options to address it.
Your balance is generally something you wouldn’t give much thought to until you experience a problem.
Because vertigo, or poor balance is likely to result in falls, accidents or injuries, understanding why they occur is a key part of combatting any problems.
The sensory information related to motion, equilibrium, and spatial orientation in your brain to help you to maintain balance comes from the vestibular apparatus located in each of your ears.
When functioning properly, the vestibular organs on both sides of your head send symmetrical impulses to the brain, which help you to stay balanced.
When these organs are not functioning properly, they can cause dizziness and mild to severe balance problems.
Schedule A Balance Assessment
“I highly recommend SLENT Dr. Martinez for any hearing or balance issues. He takes time to listen carefully to patients, does a thorough evaluation, and provides the best care possible.”
What To Expect In Your Balance Assessment
1. What To Do 24 Hours Before Your Appointment
Please don’t drink alcohol 24 hours prior to your balance assessment, as this may interfere with the test.
Also, please don’t wear mascara, eyeliner, or face lotions when you come to the clinic, as these too may interfere with the accuracy of the results.
2. Please Arrive 15-Minutes Before Your Appointment
When you arrive, you will be greeted by our reception staff, then you will be given some forms to fill out.
3. The ENG and VNG Tests
Your assessment will start with the ENG and VNG tests in a dark room. Both these tests analyze how well your eyes help your sense of balance, which is determined by watching a series of sequences of light on a monitor.
You’ll then be instructed to move in certain ways whilst watching bright patterns.
4. The Rotary Chair Tests
You’ll then be asked to move onto a mechanized chair, which further tests your eyesight in relation to your balance.
Here, a headset will be placed over your eyes, which will measure how your eyes respond to different impulses.
5. The VEMP Test
Next up, it’s your muscles’ turn to be tested. You’ll sit in a chair wearing a pair of headphones and your specialist will place small sensory pads on your head and face.
When you hear a specific sound, you’ll be asked to react in a certain way.
6. Finally, The Video Head Impulse Test
This test will determine how your eyes adapt to sudden movement, which will require you to wear a pair of special glasses.
Your specialist will gently adjust the position of your head, which will give an accurate account of how your eyes move.
Once that’s done, you’re done too!
The Symptoms Of A Balance Disorder
If you suspect you have a balance disorder, there are two key symptoms you might experience:
1. Sense of dizziness, vertigo, or motion intolerance.
This may result from rapid head movements or turning too quickly. You could just experience this issue briefly, or it could last for several hours at a time.
2. Persistent feeling of unsteadiness or imbalance.
You might also find it hard to walk, with the problem potentially making any form of upright movement extremely difficult.
Schedule A Balance Assessment
Untreated dizziness can increase your risk of serious injury from a fall and make it difficult for you to leave your home and enjoy your day-to-day life.
If you or a loved one is experiencing dizziness, vertigo, feel off-balance, or has a hearing loss, schedule an appointment with SLENT Hearing & Balance today by filling in the form on this page.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to wait, you’re welcome to call us on 985-273-5795.
What our Delighted Patients say
“Don’t waste another minute of your life without hearing aids and Dr JJ. The technology is amazing.”
“As like many others, I ignored the fact my hearing was not good and always thought my only issue was not being able to hear the TV. My biggest concern was hearing aids make you look old.
“My fear was that I would not get used to wearing hearing aids or my glasses would make them uncomfortable.
“Now I hear things I haven’t heard in years. I can be in a conversation and understand what everyone is saying.”
“I have known for years that I had a loss of hearing of my high pitch. I was being tested annually at work so that’s how I knew it was high pitch. After I retired in 2012, I wasn’t getting tested anymore and it seemed to get worse.
“My biggest concern was I would get irritated at people talking to me thinking that it was their fault that I couldn’t hear what they were saying because they were not speaking up loud enough.
“Hearing aids aren’t like they were back in the day when they were so bulky. You can barely see them.”
“Throughout the years, I knew that I favored my left ear over my right ear. I didn’t realize it was really bad until I rolled over in bed. I immediately knew I had hearing loss in my right ear because I could no longer hear the tv when I rolled over.
“Knowing my father has almost 100% hearing loss, I knew I had to do something. I learned I also had it in my left ear which was surprising.
“Dr. Martinez will make sure you are properly fitted with the correct aids to really improve your ability to hear what’s going on around you”
Catherine first came to terms with her hearing loss when it began to affect her socially.
She often felt “left out because I didn’t know what people were saying” and she “could not be a part of the conversation.”
This made her feel very low, and she was worried that there would be no help for her.