Fetch the specs, not smelling salts

Have you have felt dizzy in the last month? University of Bradford postgraduate student Deborah Armstrong would like your insight.

The optometrist is seeking participants to fill out a 10-minute online pilot questionnaire, part of a larger project to tackle the visual factors contributing to dizziness.

Ms Armstrong told OT that balance relies on the visual, the vestibular-inner ear and the proprioceptive-nerve systems working together. “Dizziness has a lot of components to it. Many people have lots of different combinations of these problems that cause dizziness,” she explained.

Her research, which is under the supervision of Professor David Elliot and Dr Alison Alderson, will create a robust survey to quantify dizziness before and after a visual method of treatment.

The project’s ultimate aim was to determine which methods addressing visual contributing factors to dizziness could improve overall symptoms.

Ms Armstrong explained that, with research showing that between 25 and 30% of people suffered dizziness, the findings could make a big difference in patients’ lives.

“It’s quite a significant problem, especially in older populations,” she said.

The anonymous questionnaire can be accessed here.