Be sure to perform a thorough head and neck examination in the dizzy patient, as the etiologic source is often due to ear, nose, and throat pathology, such as structural abnormalities, some of which may even signal a more widespread process

Such common physical examination findings may include the following:

• cerumen impaction
• otitis media with effusion
• chronic otitis with otorrhea
• chronic sinusitis with nasal airway obstruction
• orophayrngeal findings consistent with sleep apnea
• congenital abnormalities of the pinna, external auditory canal, and face may suggest labyrinthine involvement