PrintWhat is balance?
Balance is our physical sense of where we are in our environment. A complicated set of structures in our inner ears works with our eyes and our arms and legs to tell us whether we are up or down, moving or still.
What is dizziness?
"Dizziness” is a general term that describes a number of symptoms such as lightheadedness, giddiness or a feeling of uncertainty about the environment.
What is vertigo?
Vertigo is a specific kind of dizziness, which causes people to feel they are moving or the environment is moving around them. Vertigo is typically caused by diseases or disorders of the vestibular system — the inner ear and/or central nervous system pathways that help us maintain balance and orientation in our surroundings.
UHN’s Balance Care Area
Our balance care area is unique in Canada. With special equipment and a multidisciplinary team of neuro-otologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, PhD researchers and fellows, we take on the most challenging cases.
Patients are usually referred to our services and programs by a specialist (such as a neurologist or ear, nose and throat physician) or by their family physician. We begin with an assessment of patients at the UHN Centre for Advanced Hearing and Balance, where we conduct a variety of tests to identify balance problems. This includes:
- a hearing test
- auditory evoked response testing – measures the electrical activity generated by sound that travels from the inner ear to the brainstem
- an electronystagmogram (ENG) balance test – detects abnormal eye movements and damage to the inner ear
- sacculocolic reflex test – tests a person’s perception of gravity
- scleral coil search study – measures eye movements more accurately than any means available
computerized rotational chair – tests vestibulocular reflex by measuring an individual's eye adjustments in response to movements of the head
Treatment and support for patients with balance disorders
Once we identify the cause of the balance problem, many treatments exist to help treat or cure it. Physical repositioning techniques and drug therapy are often effective over time. Surgical techniques may also be used to treat certain disorders; if so, our team has strong links with both the Toronto General Hospital’s otologic surgery team and Toronto Western Hospital’s neurosurgery team.
Support services, such as a Ménière's self-help group, are also available to help patients cope with balance disorders. To find out more about the Menière's self-help group, which meets the first Wednesday of each month at Toronto General Hospital, contact Heather Desroches at (416) 340-3666.
