Epidemiology Of Vertigo Research Articles

Epidemiologia da Vertigem na Urgência Hospitalar

Vertigo is one of the most frequent motives in seeking specialized medical care in an emergency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of balance disorders in the Otorhinolaryngology urgency, the epidemiological characteristics and the possible seasonality. It was used a sample of patients who were assisted in a health care emergency department of this specialty, of a universitary hospital and during a period of four years. The project was conceived as a descriptive epidemiological study of population type, retrospective, during the period from 2010 to 2013. A total population of 40.173 attendances of patients during this period used the emergency eepartment of Otolaryngology. The parameters studied included age, gender, annual number of cases (total and percentage), date of crisis of vertigo, seasonal distribution by seasons and annual proportion of hospitalized cases. A total of 4.347 patients (10.8%) sought medical attention due to dizziness/balance disorders over the four years of the study. There has been an annual increase in the number of cases between 7.6% (in 2010) and 17% (in 2013). Women were more often affected (68.3%) and crises occurred more often in individuals between 60 and 79 years of age (40%). The cases were distributed heterogeneous between the seasons, having more episodes of dizziness in summer and autumn and with an increasing trend between 2010 and 2013. The number of hospitalizations has increased annually over this period. The epidemiology of vertigo and vestibular disorders is still a specific field to study, because it may be useful for clinical decision-making and health care planning. The study revealed that cases of vertigo in urgency increased annually and are more frequent in women, in elderly population and in Summer and Autumn.

The Epidemiology of Vertigo, Dizziness, and Unsteadiness and Its Links to Co-Morbidities

Vertigo, dizziness, and unsteadiness (VDU) are common symptoms traditionally considered to result from different kinds of vestibular and non-vestibular dysfunctions. The epidemiology of each symptom and how they relate to each other and to migraine, agoraphobia, motion sickness susceptibility (MSS), vaso-vagal episodes (VVE), and anxiety-depression was the object of this population-based study in north-eastern France. A self-administered questionnaire was returned by 2987 adults (age span 18–86 years, 1471 women). The 1-year prevalence for vertigo was 48.3%, for unsteadiness 39.1%, and for dizziness 35.6%. The three symptoms were correlated with each other, occurred mostly (69.4%) in various combinations rather than in isolation, less than once per month, and 90% of episodes lasted ≤2 min. The three symptoms were similar in terms of female predominance, temporary profile of the episodes, and their link to falls and nausea. Symptom episodes of >1 h increase the risk of falls. VDU are much more common than the known prevalence of vestibular disorders. The number of drugs taken increase VDU even when controlling for age. Each VDU symptom was correlated with each co-morbidity in Chi-squared tests. The data suggest that the three symptoms are more likely to represent a spectrum resulting from a range of similar – rather than from different, unrelated – mechanisms or disorders. Logistic regressions controlling for each vestibular symptom showed that vertigo correlated with each co-morbidity but dizziness and unsteadiness did not, suggesting that vertigo is certainly not a more specific symptom than the other two. A logistic regression using a composite score of VDU, controlling for each co-morbidity showed a correlation of VDU to migraine and VVE but not to MSS and not to agoraphobia in men, only in women.

Clinical study of vertigo in the outpatient clinic of Kyoto University Hospital

Conclusion: The epidemiology of vertigo remains unclear. This study might contribute to an understanding of the mechanisms underlying vestibular disease. Objective: To investigate the epidemiological features of patients with vertigo. Methods: A retrospective study on 612 patients with vertigo who visited Kyoto University Hospital. Results: Elderly individuals comprised > 30% of patients presenting with vertigo, with more female patients than male patients.

Vertigo: Epidemiologic Aspects

Vertigo is a frequent symptom in the general population with a 12-month prevalence of 5% and an incidence of 1.4% in adults. Its prevalence rises with age and is about two to three times higher in women than in men. The epidemiology of vertigo and underlying specific vestibular disorders is still an underdeveloped field despite its usefulness for clinical decision making and its potential for improving patient care. In this article, the authors give an overview on the epidemiology of vertigo as a symptom and of four specific vestibular disorders: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), vestibular migraine, Ménière's disease, and vestibular neuritis.

Epidemiology of vertigo

Epidemiological findings on the distribution, determinants and outcome of vertigo can be used for clinical decision making and can help understand the underlying causes of vestibular diseases. This article gives an overview of the epidemiology of the vestibular symptom vertigo and of four specific vestibular disorders: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, migrainous vertigo, Menière's disease and vestibular neuritis. Based on a neurotologic survey of the general population, 1-year prevalence estimates for vertigo were 4.9%, for migrainous vertigo 0.89% and for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo 1.6%. Diagnostic positional manoeuvres and treatments for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, however, are still not being done by most doctors. The female preponderance among patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and migrainous vertigo may be linked to migraine but is not fully understood. A recently reported prevalence of Menière's disease of 0.51% is much higher than previous estimates. Follow-up studies have shown benign paroxysmal positional vertigo recurrence rates of 50% at 5 years and a persistence of dizziness related to anxiety in almost a third of patients 1 year after vestibular neuritis. The epidemiology of vertigo and vestibular disorders is still an underdeveloped field. Recent studies have underscored the impact of vertigo at the population level, but its determinants and outcome are not well known yet.