CPD Articles
Vertiginous dizziness: A primary care approach
South African Family Practice | Vol 65, No 1 : Part 3| a5712 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v65i1.5712
| © 2023 Shane D. Murphy, Michael G. van Aardt
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 23 January 2023 | Published: 21 April 2023
Submitted: 23 January 2023 | Published: 21 April 2023
About the author(s)
Shane D. Murphy, Department of Clinical Services, Abbey House Medical Centre, Navan, IrelandMichael G. van Aardt, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Abstract
Dizziness is an extremely common, yet complex neurological symptom that reflects a disturbance of normal balance perception and spatial orientation. Dizziness is a non-specific, catch-all term commonly used by patients to describe a wide array of symptoms, including a sensation of motion, weakness, light-headedness, unsteadiness, emotional upset and depression. The national 1-year prevalence of dizziness is around 50%, accounting for 4% of emergency department presentations and 1% of primary care consultations in South Africa. This article will focus on a diagnostic approach to the most common cause of dizziness (vertigo).
Keywords
family medicine; general practice; primary care; vertigo; dizziness
Metrics
Total abstract views: 1238Total article views: 1340