The impact of dizziness on quality-of-life in the elderly

Abstract

Dizziness is a common medical condition that has been related to falls in the elderly, and it is, therefore, considered a severe social health problem. Particularly in the elderly, the impact of dizziness may be relevant, as it has been linked to several conditions, such as isolation, depression, reduced self autonomy, and self control. The social, functional, and psychological well-being of those affected can be hampered significantly, thus reducing the quality-of-life (QoL) perception. In addition, due to the aging of the population in the developed world, dizziness is becoming a growing public health problem; an optimal management of this condition includes, nowadays, the improvement of rehabilitative programs, as well as the evaluation of QoL status and its management. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of dizziness on the QoL in the elderly, also analyzing the instruments available, nowadays, to evaluate QoL of dizzy patients.

Keywords: Dizziness; Elderly; Older adults; Presbystasis; Quality-of-life; Risk of falls.