Priorities in Management of the Geriatric Patient With Dizziness

The symptom of dizziness reflects a variety of sensations related to disturbances of the individual's sense of equilibrium, which have variously been described or subclassified by terms such as vertigo, presyncope, disequilibrium, wooziness, imbalance, falling sensation, spinning, and disorientation.1 In its various forms, dizziness is one of the most common symptoms in older persons, increasing in prevalence as age advances.2–4 This increasing prevalence with age reflects the fact that a variety of body systems interact to support one's sense of equilibrium, and that with age the breakdown of multiple systems is common, and hence the increase in dizziness.