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ICD-10-CM codes for Dizziness

The ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases lists dizziness under "Dizziness". Without more detail in the record it is coded R42, dizziness and giddiness, in tabular category R42 (Dizziness and giddiness). The tabular list also files Light-headedness; Vertigo NOS under R42. More specific documentation changes the code, for example hysterical: F44.89; psychogenic: F45.8.

Compiled from CMS files by the QuickIntell RCM Editorial Team · Data effective · Method: reference methodology · Report a data correction

Data currency: ICD-10-CM code descriptions: FY2027 (effective October 1, 2026). Next CMS release: FY2028 code files, effective October 1, 2027.

Default code: R42 Dizziness and giddiness

Index to Diseases entry: Dizziness

Each row is a subterm under the entry. Indented rows refine the row above; “see” sends you to another entry. Look the code up in the tabular list before reporting it: the tabular notes can require a more specific or an additional code.

ICD-10-CM index subterms under "Dizziness"
DocumentationCodeCode description or cross-reference
hystericalF44.89Other dissociative and conversion disorders
psychogenicF45.8Other somatoform disorders

Tabular list notes for R42

Inclusion terms
  • Light-headedness
  • Vertigo NOS
Excludes1 (never coded together)
  • vertiginous syndromes (H81.-)
  • vertigo from infrasound (T75.23)

How to read an Index to Diseases entry

  • Words in parentheses after a term are nonessential modifiers: they may or may not appear in the record, and they do not change the code.
  • Indented subterms are essential modifiers. Each one describes a different site, type or cause, and when the record supports it, the subterm's code replaces the default code.
  • “With” and “in” link two conditions. The Official Guidelines presume a causal relationship between conditions linked by “with” in the index unless the provider documents that they are unrelated.
  • “See” sends you to another entry that holds the code; “see also” points to another entry that may be useful.
  • A code that ends in a dash, such as I50.-, is incomplete: the tabular list gives the characters it still needs.
  • Never report a code from the index alone. Find it in the tabular list and apply its includes, excludes, code first, use additional code and 7th-character instructions before you report it.

Once the code is settled, check what it does for payment: the HCC lookup for risk adjustment, the CC/MCC exclusion check for inpatient severity, and the LCD code lookup for local coverage of the service it supports. The guide to ICD-10 diagnosis codes explains the code structure.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the ICD-10 code for dizziness?

R42 (Dizziness and giddiness) is the code the index assigns to "Dizziness" with no further detail. Confirm it in the tabular list before reporting it, because the tabular notes can require a different or additional code.

What is excluded from R42?

An Excludes1 note at R42 lists vertiginous syndromes (H81.-); vertigo from infrasound (T75.23): those conditions are coded elsewhere and never together with R42.

Which documentation changes the code for dizziness?

The index lists 2 subterms with their own codes, including hysterical (F44.89); psychogenic (F45.8).

Sources

Every figure on this page is taken from the CMS publications below, as released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Projection built 2026-10-10. Verify against the primary file before billing or contracting decisions. The reference methodology explains how each figure is computed from these files.

Disclaimer

The entry, subterms and codes are reproduced from the FY2027 ICD-10-CM index; code descriptions are from the FY2027 code files. Code from the medical record using both the index and the tabular list, under the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines. Not legal, clinical or billing advice.

Found a figure that does not match the CMS file? Report a data correction with the CMS file and the value you expected; the request reaches the editorial team through the contact form.