Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness

Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a type of dizziness that is not easily categorized into one of several other types, and for which the physical examination is typically normal. Patients with PPPD frequently initially suffer a sudden injury of some sort to their vestibular system, the neurologic network that preserves sense of balance. Even after this initial injury has healed, people with PPPD usually describe a vague sense of unsteadiness worsened by stress, emotional distress, or triggers in their environment. There is a clear indication that anxiety and other mental illnesses play a role in the dizziness symptoms that occur with PPPD. However, the condition is categorized as chronic functional vestibular disorder where a shift has taken place in the way the central nervous system integrates sensory information. Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness now unifies key features of a variety of Chronic Subjective Dizziness (CSD) and has been codified into the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). PPPD is estimated to be one of the more common causes of chronic or persistent dizziness at an incidence of 15–20%.