YOUR
BALANCE
APPOINTMENT
You have been referred by your ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) Consultant, GP or
Neurologist to the Audiology department at Withington Community Hospital,
for an assessment of your balance and to determine if any treatment is
available. Balance and dizziness problems are surprisingly common, and can
affect people of all ages. These can range from mild occasional unsteadiness
to severe vertigo, which in some cases can be extremely disabling.
Your balance assessment involves a series of tests to investigate the function
of the balance system and takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes to complete.
Depending upon your results, doctors may then prescribe medication or we
may offer a balance rehabilitation programme to help you cope with your
imbalance.
Before your Appointment
Please do not take any balance medication for 36 hours prior to the test.
Other medication can be taken as prescribed. Please do not drink any alcohol
for 24 hours prior to the test as both balance medication and alcohol can alter
the results obtained. Ladies, please avoid wearing mascara as it can
sometimes interfere with testing. We suggest that you come along with
someone, as you may not feel up to driving home.
Where do I go for my appointment?
Audiology Department, Ground Floor
Withington Community Hospital
Nell Lane
West Didsbury
Manchester
M20 2LR
The hospital is on the corner of Nell Lane and Burton Road.
What happens in my appointment?
During the appointment to assess your balance, the audiologist will ask you in
detail about your symptoms and balance problems, and then perform a range
of tests. Some of the tests may involve lying back on a bench with head
turned or marching on the spot. For the majority of the tests you will be seated
on a bench and we will measure and observe your eyes using a pair of
goggles containing cameras. This allows us to record the eye movements
onto a computer for analysis.
Most of the tests involve allowing your eyes to follow the movement of a small
red light on a light bar in front of you. These tests look mainly at how the
balance organ in your ears communicates with your eyes. The final test
involves putting a small amount of warm and/or cool water into each ear in
turn. This allows the balance function of each ear to be assessed
independently, and helps the audiologist to determine if your balance problem
is the result of a decrease in function in one of your balance organs. This test
may provoke a sensation of dizziness. If it does occur, it will not bring on an
attack of vertigo and will fully resolve within 5 minutes.
What happens after my tests have been done?
1. We aim to talk through the results with you immediately after the
assessment, although detailed discussion may have to wait until
you see your referring doctor again.
2. We will send a report to the doctor who referred you and you will in
turn receive a review appointment with that doctor to discuss the
results of the test.
3. We will discuss any rehabilitation exercises that we feel may help
your balance to improve.
4. You may be offered a follow-up appointment with us for vestibular
rehabilitation
If you have any queries about your appointment then contact Withington
Community Hospital Audiology Department on:
0161 217 3155 (Between 9 - 4 Monday to Friday)