Objective: We investigated the characteristics of vertigo and dizziness developing in children during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Materials and Methods: A total of 56 children aged 2–15 years old (median 12 years) with dizziness seen during the five-year period from April 2017 to March 2022 participated in this study. We performed examinations of the equilibrium function for the diagnosis. In particular, we compared the differences in the distribution of the diagnosis prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results: In both periods, the most common diagnoses were orthostatic dysregulation (OD), psychogenic vertigo, Meniere’s disease, benign paroxysmal vertigo, and migrainous vertigo. The patients diagnosed as having vertigo and dizziness during COVID-19 pandemic were significantly older. Furthermore, the main causes were obviously biased towards OD during the pandemic period.
Discussion and Conclusion: The prevalence of OD was about 5% in elementary school students and about 10% in junior high school students. We consider that the prolonged lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including school attendance restrictions, during the pandemic produced chronic stress in children, which increased the potential risk of development of OD.
