| Balance Test Instructions
- DO NOT TAKE THE FOLLOWING MEDICATIONS for
24 hours before your test: tranquilizers, sleeping
pills, drugs for dizziness, or drugs for allergies.
If you are taking drugs for diabetes, heart
disease, high blood pressure, seizures, anxiety
or depression, DO NOT STOP, take them as usual.
If you are unsure which of your medications
to stop, please call us at (215) 662-2784.
- Do not drink any alcohol for 24 hours before
testing.
- Do not smoke, or drink caffeine(coffe, tea,
or cola)for 2 hours before your test.
- IF YOU ARE DIABETIC, please eat as you usually
do. IF YOU ARE NOT DIABETIC, it is best not
to eat for 3 hours before testing.
- Do not wear contact lenses.
- FEMALE PATIENTS: please wear pants. Do not
wear makeup.
- You may feel more comfortable bringing someone
with you, to drive you home if you feel dizzy
after testing.
- Please arrive 30 minutes before your appointment,
for parking, Registration Desk and check in.
- Please bring a list of all the prescription
medications you take.
- Please bring your hearing test results with
you, unless you are scheduled to have them at
HUP.
- Please bring copies of your doctor's reports
and test results.
- If you have an appointment with a Balance
Center physician on the same day as your balance
testing, please bring your X_RAY, CAT SCAN OR
MRI SCAN FILMS with you (not just the reports).
Description of Balance Tests
You use information from your eyes, your feet,
and the balance organs in your ears to keep your
balance. The balance tests help your doctor to
determine what parts of the balance system may
be causing your symptoms. The tests are painless,
but some of them may make you feel unsteady, dizzy,
or occasionally, nauseated for a few minutes.
This does not happen to every patient, and most
patients do not have any trouble with testing.
If you have bothersome symptoms during testing,
we will give you a break to recover.
The typical balance study lasts from 1 ½ to 3
hours. You will take one or more of the following
tests:
The examiner will ask you to march in place,
and stand still with eyes open, then closed. You
will watch moving lights while we record your
eye movements. You will be asked to move in various
positions while lying in bed. For the final part
of the test, the examiner will put warm and/or
cool water into your outer ear while you are lying
down. This is not painful, but may make you feel
lightheaded or dizzy for a brief period.
You may stand on a platform that tells us how
much you sway. The platform moves back and forth
slightly at times during the test. The examiner
will explain what will happen before each set
of movements. You will be wearing a safety harness
so that you cannot fall.
You may be sitting in the dark for a short time,
in a chair which moves in a gentle, circular motion.
During this test, the examiner will be talking
with you and watching you with a camera.
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