What causes balance problems or dizziness?
Determining the cause of dizziness is important so that it can be properly managed. Sometimes people become acutely or chronically dizzy due to physical changes or illness such as blood pressure changes or heart abnormalities. However, others become dizzy as a direct result of an abnormality within the balance mechanism in the inner ear, known as the vestibular system. Your physician may refer you to an audiologist who specializes in vestibular evaluations. The audiologist will ask a complete case history aimed at helping to determine the specific tests that are necessary. In addition, the audiologist may perform a variety of physical tests to challenge your balance system. The goal of the case history and tests is to determine if there are underlying medical or physical conditions affecting the balance system that are causing the dizziness or balance problem.
