Surrey Dizziness Service - Balance Assessments

Welcome to the Surrey Dizziness Service Clinic website at the Royal Surrey County Hospital. We are dedicated to providing a comprehensive, patient friendly, diagnostic audio-vestibular service to our dizzy patients.   

We also offer tailored therapy for our dizziness patients and involve them in every step of the therapeutic process. The clinic is dedicated to further development. We thus offer seminars for clinicians which are held on an annual basis.

AUDIOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Team Leader
Ms. Nicola Topass

Diagnostic: Team Members

• Ms. Karen Lammaing
• Dr. Alex Lindsay
• Dr. Heather Gilpin

Rehabilitation: Team Members

• Ms. Joanne Rhodes-Brown
• Ms. Danielle Howard

Chartered Clinical Psychologist

Ms. Jacqui Seaton

Departmental Links include:

OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY

Mr. Peter Valentine (Consultant Otologist and ENT surgeon)

PHYSIOTHERAPY

Michelle Dawson (Outpatient Physiotherapy Superintendent) 

FALLS CLINIC

Dr. Hiro Khoshnaw (Consultant Physician, Lead Clinician for Falls and Bone Health)

If you think that you have a dizziness problem, please contact your GP and ask them to refer you to the clinic. Your GP can book an appointment directly on the Choose and Book system or send a letter address to the Clinic.

The balance system is a ‘tripod system’ of sensory information; it is the coordination of information from the visual system, the proprioceptive system (information about position from your feet, limbs and joints) and the vestibular system (information from the balance organs in the inner ear).  The brain processes the information from all these systems and ensures that the muscles in your limbs and eye respond correctly when the balance system is challenged. For example you are walking along when suddenly you trip over a stone in the pathway. Your balance system reacts to ensure that you do not fall and makes corrective movements with your limbs and eyes.  

Futher information please click on the link below:

http://www.brainandspine.org.uk/information/publications/brain_and_spine_booklets/

dizziness_and_balance_problems/the_balance.html

Vertigo (an illusion of movement), dizziness and balance problems arise when there are problems in one or more of the systems involved in balance (vision, proprioception and/or vestibular system). It can be due to a number of different things including problems with the balance organ or nerve, various medical conditions or neurological problems. It is thus important that the cause for the dizziness be determined by a professional.

Further information please click here:

http://www.brainandspine.org.uk/information/publications/brain_and_spine_booklets/dizziness_and_balance_problems/

common_questions.html

Our highly trained staff would complete a full case history and perform audio-vestibular testing procedures. These procedures may take approximately 1hr 30m to 2hr 30 min to complete.

-          Diagnostic Audio-vestibular Clinic

-          Preparation for testing 

After the testing has been completed, you may require therapy to help with your dizziness symptoms. Therapy would then be discussed and arrangements would be made for you to attend the Vestibular Rehabilitation Clinic.

-          Vestibular Rehabilitation Clinic

The Surrey Dizziness Services has established links with the Brain and Spine Institute and are working together to create awareness of Dizziness problems.

-          Brain and Spine Institute

http://www.brainandspine.org.uk/information/publications/brain_and_spine_booklets/dizziness_and_balance_problems/

common_questions.html

We offer a patient support group for our patients which are set to start in March 2012 in conjunction with the Meniere's Society. It provides a venue in which patients with similar experiences can express their views and experiences with their disorder.

-          Further information

http://www.brainandspine.org.uk/information/publications/brain_and_spine_booklets/

dizziness_and_balance_problems/dizziness_and_1.html

• www.menieres.org.uk/
• www.vestibular.org/index.php
• www.balancenetwork.org/
• www.brainandspine.org.uk
• http://www.labyrinthitis.org.uk

The Role of Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials in the Diagnosis of Dizziness