The dizzy patient: a review of etiology, differential diagnosis, and management.
BACKGROUND
Dizziness is a lay term used to describe a variety of sensations. Unfortunately, the term "dizziness" does not have a precise medical definition, and additional information is typically required to further define the patient's problem.


METHODS
When dizziness is a presenting complaint, distinctions must be made between vertigo (a sense of false movement), near-syncope (a feeling of impending faint), disequilibrium (loss of balance), and ill-defined lightheadedness (an inability to concentrate or focus the mind). Possible causes of dizziness include conflicts between visual and vestibular information, vascular problems, adverse reactions to medication, psychological difficulties, systemic disease, and the effects of aging.


RESULTS
Dizziness is a symptom of a physiological or psychological illness, and therefore management is typically directed toward treatment of the underlying illness. In some cases the cause of the dizziness cannot be found, however, or is untreatable. In these cases, management is directed toward symptom reduction.


CONCLUSIONS
Dizziness is a relatively common problem that arises from a variety of causes. In many cases, optometrists can participate in the diagnosis and management of patients with complaints of dizziness.
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004244:Dizziness / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans