What does a physical exam for vertigo often include?

A physical exam for vertigo frequently involves positional testing for vertigo because this type of assessment is essential to determine if the vertigo is due to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) or another underlying condition. Positional testing focuses on how changes in head position affect dizziness, helping to diagnose specific types of vertigo. Testing may include maneuvers like the Dix-Hallpike test, which can reveal characteristic responses associated with BPPV.

While blood pressure monitoring might provide useful information about a patient’s overall cardiovascular status and neurological assessment may also be performed to rule out other issues, these components do not directly assess the characteristics of vertigo in the same targeted manner as positional testing. MRI scans are typically reserved for cases where there is a suspicion of serious underlying conditions, such as tumors or central nervous system lesions, not as a standard part of an initial physical exam for vertigo. Therefore, positional testing is the most directly relevant and commonly included component of the physical examination for diagnosing and elucidating the nature of vertigo.