Chronic Subjective Dizziness

This article reviews the authors' work, which expands on previous studies to confirm that anxiety-related processes cause or maintain symptoms of dizziness. Discussed are interventions directed at patients' underlying psychologic disorders, including current methods of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Patients with chronic complaints of nonspecific dizziness can present frustrating diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, but can be offered definitive and palliative care. The authors emphasize the importance of eliciting a precise description of the dizziness sensation from the patient as the critical factor in delineating the specific diagnosis and guiding treatment.