General information, not an individual diagnosis. Ask a healthcare professional if you are unsure about your situation.
During an episode of vertigo, seek medical assessment immediately if you cannot stand, have an unusual headache, see double or lose vision, have abnormal eye movements, changes in consciousness or behaviour, or difficulty speaking, walking or controlling your limbs. This urgency also applies after a recent head injury or with major cardiovascular risks. Do not wait for the planned recording.
Videonystagmography records nystagmus, involuntary eye movements. Ameli describes it among the specialist examinations selected to investigate some cases of vertigo. These movements contribute information to the balance assessment. The recording complements the clinical examination; the doctor decides whether it is useful in the particular situation.
Recorded movements may occur spontaneously or be induced during caloric or rotational tests. The name videonystagmography therefore does not specify every test that will be performed. Ask which tests are prescribed, how they are carried out and which sensations to report to the team during the examination.
Hearing measurement, or audiometry, answers a different question. Vestibular examinations investigate the inner ear's role in balance, while video-oculography examines the central pathways controlling eye movements. These names may appear in an individual assessment. Clarify what each examination actually prescribed is intended to contribute.
Not every case of vertigo needs this same set of examinations. For already diagnosed, typical and isolated benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, HAS states that vestibular function tests are not useful unless the diagnosis is uncertain or additional signs are present. Clinical positional tests, such as Dix-Hallpike, address a specific question about the affected canal.
To prepare for the prescribed examination, provide your medication list and report previous ear problems or injuries. Ask for the instructions that apply to the planned tests and why they have been selected in your case. Afterwards, ask how the recorded movements will be considered alongside symptoms, the clinical examination and any hearing measurements.
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