Dizziness: A common, troublesome symptom but often treatable.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of self-rated dizziness/unsteadiness and health as well as to estimate the proportion of participants with peripheral vestibular disorders.


METHODS
Altogether, 2547 participants (66%) participated in an epidemiological cross-sectional study, including self-rated questions about dizziness/unsteadiness, concomitant auditory symptoms and self-rated general, psychosocial and mental health.


RESULTS
The overall prevalence of dizziness was 21% and higher among women (27%) than men (14%) (p< 0.001). Dizziness, provoked by the movement of lying-down (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), was noted in 5% of the participants with the symptom occurring more often in women than in men (p< 0.001). Twenty-four percent of the men and 21% of the women with dizziness simultaneously experienced a sense of rotation and loss of hearing and tinnitus. Fifteen percent reported falls because of dizziness. Both men and women suffering from dizziness symptoms perceived worse self-rated health generally, psychosocially and mentally than those without symptoms of dizziness (p< 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Dizziness-related symptoms are common in all age groups and may manifest worse self-rated health. About 50% of the participants had symptoms indicating origin of peripheral vestibular disorders. Self-rated questions seem capable of identifying patients for referral to clinical examinations and subsequently those who can be successfully treated.
Mendel
Barbro
B
Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. barbro.mendel@ki.se
Bergenius
Johan
J
Langius-Eklöf
Ann
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004244:Dizziness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000150:complications; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000150:complications