The Dizziness Handicap Inventory, or DHI, is a questionnaire that vestibular clinics widely use to measure how much dizziness limits your daily life. It was published by Jacobson and Newman in 1990.
What it asks
There are 25 questions, such as whether looking up, quick head movements or turning over in bed make your problem worse, whether you restrict travel, or whether you feel frustrated or embarrassed because of it.
For each question you answer No, Sometimes or Yes. Answer for how things have been over the last month, not just today.
How it is scored
- No scores 0, Sometimes scores 2, Yes scores 4.
- The total runs from 0 to 100. Lower is better.
VertigoMe shows a band with your score:
- Mild: 0 to 30
- Moderate: 31 to 60
- Severe: 61 to 100
It also splits your score into three parts:
- Physical: how movements and positions affect you (up to 28).
- Emotional: how dizziness affects your feelings and confidence (up to 36).
- Functional: how it limits what you do (up to 36).
What the score is for
The DHI does not diagnose anything. It shows how much dizziness is affecting your life, and whether that is getting better or worse over time. Retaking it every month or two gives your clinician a clear trend, for example during vestibular rehabilitation or after a treatment change.
The wording in VertigoMe is lightly adapted for reading on a phone. The scoring matches the published questionnaire, so your totals can be compared with clinic scores.
When to see a doctor
A score is not a substitute for a check-up. See your GP, ENT or neurologist if your dizziness is new, getting worse, or comes with sudden hearing loss, a severe headache, double vision, slurred speech, weakness, numbness or trouble walking. For sudden symptoms like these, seek urgent care.
