While vertigo and dizziness are often thought to be the same thing, they’re actually two different conditions. If you have vertigo, you feel as if the external world is spinning around you, or as if you are revolving in space. You will notice the sensation of rotary movement when you’re bending forward, looking up, lying down, or rolling over in bed. If you are experiencing dizziness, you may feel lightheaded, unsteady and you may experience swaying.

There are many possible causes for each condition and we recommend you see your doctor first as some of the causes will need to be addressed by a physician. 

We’ll help you stop your world from spinning. 

Okay, so maybe we’re not quite that powerful. But we can treat your vertigo using Infrared Video Goggles.

One common cause of vertigo is a condition called ‘Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo’ or BPPV. This condition causes brief episodes of dizziness or vertigo, typically triggered by changes in head position. It occurs when tiny calcium crystals become dislodged from their normal location in the inner ear and move into one of the semicircular canals. This disrupts normal fluid movement in the ear which leads to false signals being sent to the brain and causes a sensation of spinning or dizziness. The episodes are usually short-lived, lasting for seconds to a minute, and are often triggered by actions like turning over in bed, looking up, or tilting the head.

Symptoms of BPPV include:

  • Sudden vertigo or dizziness

  • Feeling off-balance or lightheaded

  • Nausea or vomiting during vertigo episodes

  • Nystagmus (involuntary eye movements) during vertigo episodes

IR (Infrared) Video Goggles are commonly used in the diagnosis and assessment of balance disorders, including BPPV. These goggles have infrared cameras that track eye movements, particularly nystagmus, which is a key feature of BPPV and other vestibular disorders.

How IR Video Goggles are used:

  • Diagnosis of BPPV: The IR Video Goggles track involuntary eye movements (nystagmus) during different positions. The presence, direction, and pattern of nystagmus can help identify the affected ear and type of BPPV.

  • Monitoring Eye Movements: The IR Video Goggles allow therapists to monitor and record eye movements during tests, which can be reviewed to detect subtle nystagmus that might not be easily seen by the naked eye.

Hawkstone physical therapists will use IR Video Goggles to observe and analyze eye movements in response to different head movements or positional changes. This helps in diagnosing the specific type of vertigo or imbalance you are experiencing. We will then put you through a series of postures designed to remove the crystals from the canal. We’ll also talk you through a series of home exercises and some instructions to follow to help make sure your condition doesn’t reoccur.