A Major Problem for Patients Over 65 Years of Age: Dizziness

Abstract

Aim: Dizziness is a term used to describe the sense of disorientation in space. It is prevalent in public, and its prevalence is known to be 11-32.5%. This rate extends to 60-70% with advanced age. Vertigo, imbalance, presyncope, and nonspecific sensation of dizziness which originate from different mechanisms, fall within this title. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics of patients applying with dizziness aged 65 years and over.Material and Methods: 100 patients over 65 years of age (52 female, 48 male) were admitted to the outpatient clinic of the Neurology Department of Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine between January 2014 and August 2016 due to dizziness included in the study. Mobility difficulty was accepted as an exclusion criterion. Patients' history, neurological and neurotological examinations, laboratory values, and further examination results were recorded.Results: The patients' mean age was 72.6 years (minimum: 65, maximum: 91). Cases were divided into four groups. In the subgroup analysis, there are 53 patients in the vertigo group (51%), 21 in presyncope (20.2%), 27 in imbalance (26%), and 3 in nonspecific sensation of dizziness (2.8%). Multiple causes were identified in four patients. Conclusion: Dizziness is one of the most common reasons for hospital admission and negatively impacts the quality of life, especially in the geriatric population. Accurate diagnosis and treatment increase patients' quality of life and provide early recognition of central nervous system diseases.