Vertigo And Dizziness Related Disorders: Clinical Spectrum and
Management in A Clinic Based Otolaryngology Practice in an Urban Centre
Abstract
• Background: Vertigo / dizziness is a common problem encountered in
clinical practice. It is described in different ways by each patient.
Hence, it becomes difficult for the clinician to interpret and manage
dizziness suffered by the patients. • Objective: To study demographics,
types of vertigo / dizziness, its impact on the quality of life and
management in a UAE otolaryngology clinic • Method: This is a
retrospective, observational, descriptive study of patients presenting
with dizziness in our medical facility, between September 2019 to March
2022. • Result: In the present study, 58.61% of the patients were male.
Average age of the study population was 42.69 years. Vertigo/spinning
type of dizziness was the most reported symptom. Most reported
associated symptom was nausea, and the trigger was ‘head movement’.
56.30% of the study population was diagnosed with benign paroxysmal
positional vertigo (BPPV). Most used diagnostic tool was Dix-Hallpike
maneuver, and the management method was particle repositioning maneuver.
The average baseline Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) score was 19.37
(± 13.46), which reduced to 9.22 (±10.94) three weeks after treatment (p
value <0.0001). • Conclusion: Vertigo / dizziness related to
peripheral causes accounts for a significant proportion of cases in
routine otolaryngology practice. From our study we can easily conclude
that vertigo / dizziness related disorders negatively affect QOL. Proper
diagnosis and management would help to improve the symptoms and QOL.
Simple office-based, patient-oriented detail history taking, and
clinical examination is important in the diagnosis and management of the
dizziness. History taking or questions should focus on the type of
dizziness, associated features, duration, and triggers which would help
in pinpointing differential diagnosis and the management. Red flags like
focal neurological signs should be taken seriously and investigated
further. Keywords: Dizziness, vertigo, Dix-Hallpike maneuver, particle
repositioning maneuver, DHI