title: Office evaluation of dizziness.
abstract: Patients presenting to primary care with complaints of dizziness are common. Differentiating the cause of dizziness can be made easier by considering 4 main categories of dizziness: vertigo, presyncope/syncope, disequilibrium, and nonspecific symptoms. Differentials should immediately include the most common causes of dizziness, such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and orthostatic hypotension. Diagnostic tests should be ordered for patients who have abnormal findings on physical examination that may indicate a more serious cause of dizziness.
authors.affiliation: Georgia Campus, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 625 Old Peachtree Road NW, Suwanee, GA 30024, USA. Electronic address: jdhogue@charter.net.
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hogue
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004244:Dizziness / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D010808:Physical Examination; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D013575:Syncope / Q000150:complications; D014717:Vertigo / Q000150:complications
keywords: Disequilibrium; Dix-Hallpike maneuver; Dizziness; Nonspecific dizziness; Nystagmus; Presyncope; Syncope; Vertigo