The Hearing Handicap Inventory, or HHI, measures how much a hearing problem gets in the way of your daily and social life. VertigoMe uses the adult version, published by Newman and colleagues in 1990.
Conditions such as Ménière's disease and vestibular migraine can come with hearing changes, so this score sits next to your spin history for your clinician. It is listed for everyone, even if you have no hearing problems.
What it asks
There are 25 questions, such as whether a hearing problem makes phone calls difficult, makes you avoid noisy places, makes it seem that people are mumbling, or makes you feel left out in a group.
For each question you answer No, Sometimes or Yes. Answer for how things have been over the last month.
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:
- No to slight: 0 to 16
- Mild to moderate: 17 to 42
- Significant: 43 to 100
It also splits your score into Emotional and Situational parts.
What the score is for
The HHI does not test your hearing. It measures how hearing affects your life. A hearing test (audiogram) by an audiologist or ENT measures the hearing itself. Retake the HHI every few months, or after a treatment change.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor promptly if you notice sudden hearing loss in one or both ears. Sudden hearing loss should be checked urgently, ideally within a day or two. Also see your GP, ENT or audiologist if your hearing is gradually getting worse, or if tinnitus changes or is only in one ear.
