DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST
for Dizziness

Why: to determine if acute or chronic.

Why: i.e. episodic sudden sensation of circular turning motion of your body or your surroundings - this is a sign of nervous system or ear disease.

Why: e.g. lightheadedness, swimming, giddiness, unsteadiness, fainting - all known as pseudovertigo and are more likely to be a sign of cardiovascular disease.

Why: e.g. benign positional vertigo attacks are brief, usually lasting a minute, and then subside rapidly; Meniere's syndrome is characterized by paroxysmal attacks lasting 30 minutes to several hours of vertigo, tinnitus, nausea and vomiting, sweating and pallor and progressive deafness.

Why: e.g. benign positional vertigo is a common type of vertigo that is induced by changing head position, especially tilting the head backwards, changing from lying to sitting position or turning to the affected side.

Why: suggests vestibular neuronitis.

Why: would suggest post-concussion syndrome if head injury or cervical spine dysfunction if cervical spine injury. Some instances of benign positional vertigo are associated with disorders of the cervical spine.

Why: e.g. diabetes may cause dizziness due to hypoglycemic medications or from autonomic neuropathy, anxiety, depression, lung cancer ( the commonest brain cancer is a metastatic deposit from a lung cancer), heart attack, stroke.

Why: e.g. antihypertensives (medications taken to lower blood pressure), tranquilizers, aspirin, salicylates, phenytoin, antidepressants, antihistamines, quinine, diuretics in large doses, glyceryl trinitrate - may all cause dizziness.

Why: alcohol may increase blood pressure or cause postural drop in blood pressure.

Why: e.g. marijuana and cocaine may cause dizziness.

Why: if either or both are present and the ear examination is normal it may suggest a more serious ear or nervous system condition e.g. Meniere's disease, cholesteatoma or acoustic neuroma. If neither tinnitus or deafness is present may suggest benign positional vertigo or vestibular neuronitis.

Why: should consider hyperventilation syndrome.

Why: may suggest multiple sclerosis.

Why: may suggest vestibular neuronitis or increased intracranial pressure from a brain tumor.

Why: various arrhythmias can cause dizziness or fainting such as Stokes-Adams attacks caused by complete heart block, aortic stenosis and myocardial infarction.

Why: may suggest hyperventilation syndrome or a somatic symptom of depression or anxiety.

Why: e.g. palpitations, hot flushes, night sweats - dizziness is a common symptoms in menopausal women and is often associated with these other symptoms.

Why: may suggest migraine, medulloblastoma (cerebellar tumor of childhood), other brain tumors, meningitis, meningoencephalitis, cerebral abscess or post head injury.

Why: e.g. strange disturbances of smell or feelings of unreality or undue familiarity (déjà vu) with the surroundings, visual hallucinations, absence attacks - may also present with vertigo.