Vertigo is one of the most common medical complaints. Vertigo is the feeling that you’re moving when you’re not. Or it might feel like things around you are moving when they aren’t. Vertigo can feel similar to motion sickness. People experiencing vertigo generally describe the sensation as “feeling dizzy” or feeling as if the room is spinning.
Vertigo is not the same as lightheadedness. The most common causes of vertigo are benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere’s disease, and acute onset vertigo. Treatment depends on the cause. Popular treatments include certain physical maneuvers and, if necessary, special medications called vestibular blocking agents. The outlook for vertigo-associated disease (VAD) depends on the cause. Acute onset vertigo attacks generally last less than 24 to 48 hours. Meniere’s disease doesn’t have a cure, but there are ways to manage the symptoms.
Various conditions can lead to vertigo, which usually involves either an imbalance in the inner ear or a problem with the central nervous system (CNS). Conditions that can lead to vertigo include the following: labyrinthitis (this disorder can happen when an infection causes inflammation of the inner ear labyrinth), vestibular neuritis (inflammation of the vestibular nerve), cholesteatoma (a noncancerous skin growth that develops in the middle ear, usually due to repeated infection), ménière’s disease (causes a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, which can lead to attacks of vertigo with ringing in the ears and hearing loss, and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (crystals of calcium carbonate in the inner ear become dislodged and fall into the semicircular canals where each fallen crystal touches sensory hair cells within the cupula of the semicircular canals during movement, so the brain receives inaccurate information about a person’s position, and spinning dizziness occurs).
Treatment depends on the cause. Vestibular blocking agents (VBAs) are the most popular type of medication used. Vestibular blocking agents include antihistamines (promethazine, betahistine), benzodiazepines (diazepam, lorazepam), and antiemetics (prochlorperazine, metoclopramide). Treatments for specific causes of vertigo include bed rest, VBAs, antiemetic medications, and diuretic medications.
The table below includes the most commonly used ICD-10 codes for vertigo:
| ICD-10 Chapter | Codes | Code Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A88.1 | Epidemic vertigo |
| 7 | H81.10 | Benign paroxysmal vertigo unspecified ear |
| 7 | H81.11 | Benign paroxysmal vertigo right ear |
| 7 | H81.12 | Benign paroxysmal vertigo left ear |
| 7 | H81.13 | Benign paroxysmal vertigo bilateral |
| 7 | H81.20 | Vestibular neuritis unspecified ear |
| 7 | H81.21 | Vestibular neuronitis right ear |
| 7 | H81.22 | Vestibular neuronitis left ear |
| 7 | H81.23 | Vestibular neuritis bilateral |
| 7 | H81.31 | Aural vertigo |
| 7 | H81.311 | Other peripheral vertigo right ear |
| 7 | H81.312 | Other peripheral vertigo left ear |
| 7 | H81.313 | Other peripheral vertigo bilateral |
| 7 | H81.319 | Other peripheral vertigo unspecified ear |
| 7 | H81.391 | Other peripheral vertigo right ear |
| 7 | H81.392 | Other peripheral vertigo left ear |
| 7 | H81.393 | Other peripheral vertigo bilateral |
| 7 | H81.399 | Other peripheral vertigo unspecified ear |
| 7 | H81.4 | Vertigo of central origin |
| 18 | R42 | Dizziness and giddiness |
| 19 | T75.23XA | Vertigo from infrasound initial encounter |
| 19 | T75.23XD | Vertigo from infrasound subsequent encounter |
| 19 | T75.23XS | Vertigo from infrasound sequela |
Author: Tonoya Ahmed
DocCharge: Be productive again! Practice analytics, mobile charge capture, HIPAA compliant messaging, and tools for billers.
DocCharge is a mobile physician productivity platform enabling physicians and clinicians to save time by efficiently capture patient billings, communicate with back office and maximize revenue by avoiding lost charges using real-time analytics on a mobile device. Designed by a physician for fellow physicians, residents/fellows, and mid-level providers, DocCharge maximizes one’s productivity. Practice Administrators and outsourced billing companies find the application very intuitive, thus improving practice efficiency and revenue.
DocCharge is transforming healthcare data into useful and actionable insights, thereby allowing partner subscribers to focus their resources on the core business of providing high quality patient care. For more information, visit www.DocCharge.com, email: contact@DocCharge.com.
