Since the inner ear is not directly accessible to instruments, identification is by patient report of the symptoms and audiometric testing. Of those who present to their doctor with<unk> , 90% report having diminished hearing, 57% report having a plugged feeling in ear, and 49% report having ringing in ear (tinnitus). About half report vestibular (vertigo) problems. For a detailed exposition of symptoms useful for screening, a self-assessment questionnaire was developed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology, called the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA). It is a 25-question survey of subjective symptoms.
Sensorineural hearing loss
Conductive hearing loss
Prelingual deafness
Spatial hearing loss
Unilateral hearing loss
Hemifacial hypertrophy
Cortical deafness
Ocular dysmetria