Evaluating patients with vertigo.

Dizziness and vertigo are among the most common complaints in medicine. Patients often provide vague descriptions of symptoms, making clinicians' jobs challenging. However, a patient with vertigo also can be one of the most rewarding encounters of a clinician's day. In most cases, a focused history and bedside vestibular testing provide enough information to make a diagnosis and identify patients for appropriate referral. Canalith repositioning maneuvers often resolve symptoms, leaving patients and clinicians satisfied.