[Epidemiology of dizziness and vertigo]

Abstract

Dizziness and vertigo rank among the most common symptoms in medical practice and belong to the 10 most common reasons for a neurological examination. Epidemiological data on dizziness, vertigo and underlying specific disorders of vestibular origin are useful for clinical decision making, may contribute to a better understanding of disease mechanisms and help evaluate the state of patient care. This article gives an overview on the epidemiology of dizziness/vertigo and of four specific vestibular disorders: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular migraine, vestibular neuritis and Menière's disease.