A guide to vertigo

Abstract

Assessing a dizzy patient in primary care can be challenging. The richness of human vocabulary and use of terms such as ‘wobbly’, ‘woozy’ or ‘lightheaded’ often present the first challenge of identifying true vertigo. This can make eliciting which of a wide variety of disease processes may be causing symptoms a confusing process. True vertigo is considered a perception of movement in the absence of said movement – this is often, but not exclusively a rotating or swaying sensation. In this article we will cover how to approach a patient with suspected vertigo, including key discriminators in the history and examination that can help make a diagnosis. We will also cover treatment of the conditions causing vertigo, while considering other conditions that may cause other forms of dizziness.