Audio-vestibular medicine

Our audio-vestibular teams help people living with dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss. Our doctors work with audiologists and therapists to find why a balance or hearing problem is happening and how to treat it. We run a dedicated dizziness clinic in Dubai, with audio-vestibular medicine services in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi.

What is audio-vestibular medicine?

Audio-vestibular medicine is the medical care of the hearing and balance systems. Our doctors find and treat the causes of dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss. These range from common problems such as positional vertigo to inner-ear conditions like Ménière's disease. Audiologists run the hearing and balance tests; our doctors make the diagnosis, guide treatment and follow you over time. When a problem needs surgery or lies in the brain rather than the ear, they'll bring in ENT or neurology.

When should you see an audio-vestibular specialist?

Book an appointment if you notice:

• Dizziness or vertigo that keeps coming back
• Dizziness that comes on when you move your head or lie down
• Balance problems that make walking or standing difficult
• Hearing loss in one or both ears
• Ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus)
• A feeling of pressure or fullness in your ear

Sudden vertigo alongside double vision, slurred speech, or weakness or numbness in an arm or leg can be a sign of a stroke and needs emergency care: call for emergency help straight away.

Many balance and hearing problems build up slowly, so it's worth getting them checked if they last, keep coming back or start to affect your daily life or work. Sudden hearing loss in one or both ears should be looked at quickly, even without other symptoms. Balance and hearing also change with age, and years of exposure to loud noise add to the risk, so regular hearing checks make sense as you get older.

What to expect

Your first appointment starts with questions about your symptoms: when the dizziness or hearing change began, how long attacks last and what sets them off. The doctor examines your ears, eyes and balance. You'll usually have a hearing test. Many people also have balance tests that follow your eye movements while you track a target or after warm and cool air is passed into the ear (videonystagmography and caloric testing).

Treatment depends on the cause. Positional vertigo often settles with simple repositioning movements the doctor guides you through, such as the Epley manoeuvre. Ongoing balance problems may improve with vestibular rehabilitation, a set of exercises that retrain the balance system. Medicines can ease vertigo and sickness, and conditions like Ménière's disease or tinnitus are managed over time. Your doctor explains the options, and you'll agree the next step together.

Audio-vestibular medicine at Mediclinic

We bring hearing and balance care together under doctors who specialise in audio-vestibular medicine. Our dizziness clinic assesses the causes of vertigo and imbalance. When a cause crosses more than one field, we bring in ENT, audiology and neurology teams.

In Al Ain, our audio-vestibular specialists diagnose and treat hearing and balance disorders in both adults and children. Audio-vestibular medicine is also offered at our Abu Dhabi hospital, with assessment and follow-up for people who have a cochlear implant. Our specialists use repositioning manoeuvres and vestibular rehabilitation for balance problems, alongside hearing support and longer-term care for conditions that come and go.