dizziness and vertigo in children under 16 years - NICE guidance - suspected neurological conditions - recognition and referral
Last edited 05/2019
Dizziness and vertigo in children
Summary points from NICE guidance relating to dizziness and vertigo in children are:
Dizziness with no accompanying symptoms or signs
- be aware that isolated dizziness in children is unlikely to be a symptom
of a brain tumour if there are no accompanying symptoms or signs
- be aware that dizziness in children is often a symptom of migraine and may be the predominant feature
Dizziness in older children
- be aware that in older children (usually aged over 8 years), dizziness related to change in posture is often caused by postural hypotension
Dizziness caused by middle ear infection or effusion
- in children with dizziness, examine the ears for any signs of infection, inflammation or eardrum perforation
Recurrent dizziness
For children with recurrent episodes of dizziness:
- consider referring for cardiological assessment if there are any factors
that might suggest a cardiac cause, such as blackouts (transient loss of consciousness),
a family history of cardiomyopathy or unexplained sudden death, or palpitations
- if there are episodes of dizziness with a fixed symptom pattern, be alert to the possibility of epilepsy with assessment/management in consideration of this possible diagnosis
Reference: