Epidemiology of dizziness in northern Poland - The first Polish neurootologic survey of the general population.

INTRODUCTION: Dizziness is a common complaint among patients seen by primary care physicians, neurologist and otolaryngologist. It presents difficult clinical and diagnostic problems.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and incidence of dizziness in the general population of the town and district Bytów, northern Poland, and to describe its clinical characteristics.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Epidemiological questionnaires were completed by 4,799 inhabitants of the town and district of Bytów. All participants were randomly selected from the patients' list of the Family Health Centre 'Salus' in Bytów. The main variables studied were gender, age, school education, work situation, clinical characteristics of dizziness symptoms and circumstances provoking dizziness.

RESULTS: Prevalence of dizziness was diagnosed among 16.4% of the inhabitants of the town and district of Bytów. Symptoms of dizziness appeared more often among the elderly and among women. Among young people, the condition shows as vertigo or presyncope, among people aged 50 or older, the condition showed as disequilibrium. The most common precipitant of dizziness was postural change. Dizziness was more likely to occur among those suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, increased blood lipids, hypothyroidism, cardiac arrhythmia and depression. Dizziness was more likely to occur among women using OCS or HRT, and individuals taking anti-epileptic drugs.

CONCLUSIONS: The authors present the first Polish neurootologic survey of epidemiology of dizziness in the general population. This condition is common in the general population, and this study indicates its prevalence in 16.4% of the inhabitants of the town and district of Bytów. It is recommendable that epidemiological studies should be carried out.