duration of symptoms

Last reviewed 01/2018

The duration of the dizziness may indicate the likely pathological process involved:

  • seconds to a few minutes:
    • benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
    • vestibular epilepsy

  • 10 min to 2 hours:
    • benign recurrent vertigo
    • vestibular aura of migraine

  • 2-24 hours:
    • Meniere's disease
    • posterior circulation TIA

  • longer than 24 hours:
    • acute peripheral vestibular dysfunction
    • brain stem demyelination, usually MS
    • bilateral vestibular failure