with Brendon Jones Ear Studio

What does it mean to be a vestibular audiologist ? A vestibular audiologist does not only look at the hearing organ alone . They are also specifically trained to assess and treat balance disorders . This is especially valuable because the hearing and balance organ are closely connected .

What is your favourite thing about your role ? It ’ s kind of like detective work . You have all these pieces of a puzzle to put together . That ’ s the clients ’ overall health , their ear health , their balance and their musculature and we must put all of this together to hopefully find the cause of their dizziness or hearing concerns .

What can someone expect in a balance and dizziness assessment ? Your initial consultation will take about an hour and half . The first thing we do is establish what your concerns are and do some initial testing of various parts of your balance system , including your hearing . There are a couple of causes of dizziness that are both easy to detect and quite common . If we find one of these we can treat it on the spot . If it is something that ’ s a little more complicated and can ’ t be treated there and then we will do a range of screening tests to give us an idea of what further testing may be required .

We can determine if the source of dizziness is coming from the ears and then consider what further testing can be done to help you and how we can solve the issue . In some cases , where the dizziness is not originating from the ear , our testing may also indicate to us what other body system may be responsible . If this is the case , we will discuss the results and assist you in providing recommendations to the appropriate medical practitioner .

Do people experience pain or discomfort in their assessment ? The assessment is not painful . However , if you are coming to us actively experiencing dizziness , it may be inevitable that we could trigger your dizziness in the session but it will only last seconds . We clearly explain what each test involves , what you might expect and whether you are happy to engage in that testing . We also share what we hope to achieve with each specific test ( there are no surprises ).

Is there anything people need to do to prepare for this appointment ? You can do two things , avoid alcohol 24 hours before and no big meals leading up to your appointment . You are not required to obtain a referral prior to this assessment .

Do you have a favourite success story to share ? I saw a client a couple of months ago for ear wax removal and when discussed her main concerns as part of that appointment . I asked about her balance

and if she was ever affected by any balance problems or dizziness . She answered , “ Yes , for a number of years !” and has always struggled to get out of bed quickly . She had to steady herself for a few minutes before getting out of bed in the mornings because she was experiencing a spinning sensation – vertigo . After her wax removal , I performed a quick assessment which showed she had a problem with crystals in her inner ear system which I treated on the spot ; her dizziness was instantly resolved .

Ear Studio is located at Suite 9-10 / 60 Cecil Avenue , Lawton House in Castle Hill . Trading Hours : Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm . Contact us : 02 9159 6122 or reception @ earstudio . com . au or you can visit : www . earstudio . com . au

“ Proudly independent and locally owned “

Daniel Fechner . Owner & Founder . Audiometrist , Director of Ear Stdio