history (recurrent vertigo)
Last reviewed 01/2018
Items from the history which are important include:
- speed on onset of vertigo
- activity at onset of vertigo
- length of attacks
- other symptoms are associated with attacks of recurrent vertigo - importantly, is there associated tinnitus or hearing loss
- any associated visual disturbance
- is the patient nauseated
These items of information will help direct the clinician to a cause of the vertigo. For example:
- benign positional vertigo - the onset of vertigo is related to a change in posture; symptoms are short-lived e.g a minute; no associated symptoms apart from possibly nausea
- migraine will be associated with symptoms associated with the disturbance of vertebro-basilar circulation - there will generally be a severe headache following the episode of vertigo
- meniere's disease - associated with hearing loss and tinnitus
- multiple sclerosis - bouts of vertigo may be longer than expected - there may be persistent nystagmus when the patient is not experiencing vertigo