Dizziness is one of the most difficult complaints to assess because it is a subjective sensation that cannot be directly and objectively measured.  Dizziness frequently represents many separate overlapping sensations that can be caused by a multitude of different pathophysiologic processes.  Dizziness also is one of the most common patient complaints seen in ambulatory care today and therefore clinicians in almost all disciplines will be faced with evaluating this difficult problem.   Evaluation and treatment of patients with dizziness will differ significantly once the category of dizziness has been determined.  It is imperative that clinicians take a careful history to determine the type of dizziness prior to initiating further workup.  These patients are typically challenging from a diagnostic standpoint.  Their own difficulty in providing a clear and succinct history adds to this challenge.  It is helpful to have a solid understanding of the various types of dizziness in order to help obtain an informative history from patients.