In the present study, a mean DHI total of 43.9 points was obtained, and the majority of the patients were classified as mild (36.3%) and moderate (36.2%), consistent with the findings in the literature. 10 13 14 This questionnaire has also proved to be a quick and effective method to detect changes in the quality of life of the patient with vertigo, dizziness, and long-term changes in balance. Several studies have used the DHI as a measurement of evolution and have been able to identify improvements in the symptoms of patients when pre- and post-treatment was performed. 1 6 8 11 By the age of 40, some synaptic changes may already appear in the vestibular nerve, in the 50s, degeneration of the vestibular receptors on the crests of the semicircular canals and saccule may occur, and, in the 60s, increased friction of the nerve fibers of the vestibular nerve and reduction of the conduction velocity of the electrical stimulus in the vestibular nerve may contribute to the onset of dizziness in this age group. Regarding the age group, prevalence of vestibular symptoms was observed in the 50–60 years age group, as highlighted in other studies. 6 7 8 9 10 Anxiety and depression, common in females, may also relate to dizziness and may affect the quality of life of such patients. The higher prevalence of vestibular symptoms in females is described in other studies and has a relationship with metabolic, cardiovascular, and hormonal factors. In this study, 79.1% of the participants were female and 20.9% male. The significance level adopted was p ≤0.05. To measure how the variables relate to each other, we applied the Pearson's correlation test, using p value <.001, and adopted an arbitrary classification of percentage for better interpretation of the results, with 0–20% as the worst 21–40% bad 41–60% regular 61–80% good and 81–100% excellent. We tabulated and analyzed the results statistically. In the VVAS, symptom severity is classified as mild when the score is between zero and three moderate, between four and six and severe, between seven and 10. The analysis of the DHI scores classifies the self-perception of dizziness as mild when the score is between zero and 30 moderate, between 31 and 60 and severe, between 61 and 100. We analyzed the medical records of patients that responded to the DHI and VVAS between 20. It was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (Authorization No. We conducted the study in the Balance sector of the Otology and Neurotology Discipline, Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Service of the Medical School. The aim of this study was to see whether there is a correlation between the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and the Visual Vertigo Analogue Scale (VVAS) in the evaluation of the impact of dizziness on the quality of life of patients with vestibular dysfunction.
This reason justifies the performance of the current investigation. There is a lack of studies correlating the DHI and the VVAS in the evaluation of the subjective perception of patients with vestibular dysfunction, seeking to measure the impact of dizziness in daily tasks as well as the loss of quality of life. The scale ranges from zero to ten, zero being the lowest level of dizziness and ten being the greatest. In the VVAS, patients estimate the intensity of their symptoms related to dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance. The higher the score, the worse the impact of dizziness on the quality of life of the patient the lower the score, the lower the impact. The maximum score for the physical aspect questions is 28 points and 36 points each for the emotional and functional aspects, totaling a score of 100 points. For each question, patients respond “yes,” “sometimes,” or “no,” corresponding to four, two, or zero points, respectively. The DHI is a questionnaire composed of 25 questions, with seven related to physical aspects, nine related to emotional aspects, and nine related to functional aspects. 2 3 4 These procedures also allow us to analyze the evolution of patients after vestibular rehabilitation intervention. There are some questionnaires that can trace the profile and impairment in the quality of life of the patient with dizziness, including the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), adapted to Brazilian Portuguese and the Visual Vertigo Analogue Scale (VVAS), widely used in clinical practice. Vestibular testing helps in the diagnosis of vestibular dysfunction, however, it is ineffective in assessing the impact of the symptoms on the daily activities of the patient with dizziness. Dizziness is one of the most common symptoms among the population, producing numerous consequences for individuals' quality of life.
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