Online GP assessment for vertigo and dizziness
Informational content from Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera's site. This version is not documented as medically reviewed by him.
Vertigo or dizziness in Spain? See what a bilingual online GP assessment covers in 2026, and the warning signs that mean 112 or a hospital instead.
You don't have to figure this out alone
Speak with a licensed, English-speaking doctor by video today — no waiting rooms, no language barrier, and an EU e-prescription when clinically appropriate.
An online GP assessment for vertigo is a video consultation that helps you describe dizziness, compare likely causes and decide where care should happen — with a hard rule built in: certain kinds of dizziness are emergencies, and no video call is the right tool for them. If the room spins with head movement and you can otherwise function, video triage often works well. If the dizziness came with new trouble speaking, weakness, double vision or a worst-ever headache, that is 112 or the nearest emergency department, immediately.
- Video GP assessment suits episodic vertigo with no emergency warning signs.
- Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera assesses dizziness history by secure video in English or Spanish.
- New neurologic signs — speech, weakness, vision, severe headache — mean 112, not a video call.
- Positional vertigo is often described by pattern; physical repositioning manoeuvres happen in person.
- Prescriptions are never guaranteed and follow a genuine clinical evaluation.
Why vertigo worries expats in 2026
Vertigo — the sensation that you or the room is spinning — is among the most searched symptoms in the world, and one of the most misunderstood. Most cases trace back to the inner ear and settle on their own or with simple treatment. A minority are vascular, and those minutes matter.
For an expat, the practical problem is triage in a second language: deciding at 9 p.m. whether tomorrow's appointment is a video call, a clinic, or a hospital. In 2026, a structured video assessment in English exists precisely for that decision — it sorts the overwhelming majority of benign episodes from the pattern that needs emergency care.
A related guide on what an online doctor can assess for short-term EU visitors shows how the same triage logic works for travellers.
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is best for expats in Spain who need a bilingual assessment of recurring or persistent dizziness and a clear plan — not for sudden severe symptoms, which belong to emergency care. The service does not handle medical emergencies: call 112 or go to the nearest emergency room.
How a vertigo assessment works over video
Most of vertigo diagnosis is history — what triggers it, how long it lasts, what else changed. That makes it unusually suitable for a video call, within limits.
Rule out the emergency pattern first
Before any appointment, check these. If any appeared with the dizziness, skip video care entirely:
- New difficulty speaking or understanding speech
- Weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg, especially one-sided
- Double vision or loss of vision
- A sudden, worst-ever headache
- Loss of balance so severe you cannot stand at all
- Dizziness after head injury
These are stroke-pattern warning signs. In Spain, 112 connects you to emergency services with multilingual support, and suspected stroke is time-critical.
Describe the episode precisely
The questions a GP will ask are predictable, and preparing answers makes the call twice as effective:
- Trigger: does it start when you roll over in bed, stand up, or look up at a shelf?
- Duration: seconds, minutes, or hours of continuous spinning?
- Character: does the room spin (vertigo), or do you feel faint and unsteady (lightheadedness)? These point to different causes.
- Hearing: any ringing, fullness or hearing loss in one ear?
- Medicines: new prescriptions, dose changes, or missed blood-pressure medication?
A first positional episode — brief spinning when turning in bed, seconds at a time — fits the most common benign cause pattern in adults. Your clinician confirms that in conversation; a website does not diagnose.
Book the bilingual video assessment
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is an EU-licensed GP (No. 484814280) providing consultations in English and Spanish, with responses typically arranged within 24 hours. Join from a room where you can stand up and be seen, in good light — part of the assessment is watching your balance and eye movement through the camera.
Have your medicine list and any recent blood results ready. If blood tests are needed to explore causes — anaemia, thyroid, glucose — the video assessment defines which; a local lab in Spain performs them, and a guide on online GP lab results explained in Spain covers how that review works.
Understand what video cannot do here
Two parts of dizziness care need your physical presence. First, repositioning manoeuvres for the most common positional cause are performed by trained hands on a plinth — they cannot be done over a call, though a clinician may later teach you a self-manoeuvre where appropriate. Second, if the pattern suggests something that needs imaging or a specialist, the GP refers you locally rather than stretching a remote assessment.
Where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation, the doctor may consider medication for symptom control or the underlying cause. Prescriptions are never guaranteed and are issued solely at the doctor's discretion based on clinical Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) guidelines.
Follow up rather than endure
Recurring vertigo deserves a plan, not repetition. Ask before the call ends: what should the next episode look like before it worries you, what can you safely do at home, and when should a specialist assess it? Write the answers down — dizziness makes memory unreliable.
Which assessment route fits your situation?
| Option | Best for | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Bilingual video GP assessment | Recurrent or persistent dizziness with no emergency signs; triage and history-taking | No physical manoeuvres, no imaging; emergency patterns need 112 |
| Local GP or health centre | First examination, blood tests, initial repositioning treatment | Language and registration friction for new arrivals |
| ENT or neurology specialist | Persistent positional vertigo, one-ear hearing symptoms, unclear pattern | Needs a referral; waiting times vary by region |
| Emergency department / 112 | New speech, vision, weakness, severe headache, cannot stand | For emergencies — always the correct route, never an overreaction |
The video assessment earns its place when the obstacle is describing episodes precisely, in English, and deciding which local door to knock on. Its limit is physical: no screen can perform the manoeuvres or scan the inner ear.
Common mistakes with vertigo
Calling it all "dizziness". Spinning, faintness and unsteadiness are different complaints that lead to different causes. Learn which one you have before the appointment.
Driving to the appointment while symptomatic. An acute spinning episode can stop you driving safely. Book video care precisely so you do not have to.
Self-medicating with motion-sickness tablets for weeks. They suppress the symptom and can blur the diagnostic picture. A short review is more useful than a long disguise.
Ignoring new hearing symptoms. Vertigo with one-ear hearing loss or ringing is a pattern that deserves prompt in-person assessment, not another month of waiting.
Skipping the emergency check. Every year, strokes present as "dizziness that I thought could wait". The five warning signs above take thirty seconds to check and change everything.
FAQ
Can an online GP assess vertigo for expats in Spain?
Yes, for history-taking, triage and planning when there are no emergency warning signs. Physical repositioning manoeuvres, imaging and hearing tests happen in person.
Which vertigo symptoms mean I should call 112 instead?
New speech difficulty, one-sided weakness, double vision, a sudden worst-ever headache, or inability to stand. These are stroke-pattern signs and time-critical.
What will the GP ask about my dizziness?
What triggers it, how long each episode lasts, whether the room spins or you feel faint, any hearing changes, and which medicines you take. Prepare those five answers before the call.
Can vertigo be treated through a video consultation?
Discussion and, where clinically appropriate after a genuine evaluation, medication may follow a video assessment. Nothing is guaranteed, and the common physical manoeuvre treatment is performed in person.
How quickly can I get a video appointment for vertigo?
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera's stated response time is typically within 24 hours. If your symptoms are severe or worsening now, use emergency care instead of a booking form.
Do I need blood tests for dizziness?
Sometimes — anaemia, thyroid and glucose issues can cause lightheadedness. The assessment decides whether tests are relevant; a local lab in Spain performs them.
Can I describe my vertigo in English?
Yes. Consultations run in English or Spanish, whichever lets you describe the episodes most precisely.
One last thing
Film it if you can. A phone video of the room appearing to spin — your eyes during an episode, or a family member describing your speech at the time — is one of the most useful things you can hand any clinician, remote or in person. Vertigo is a symptom of the moment, and moments can be recorded.