Ear Disorders

Because severe earaches in some cases can cause hearing loss. Hearing loss, especially in children, may impair learning capacity and even delay speech development. However, if it is treated promptly and effectively, hearing can almost always be restored to normal. Otitis media is also serious because the infection can spread to nearby structures in the Read More

Good intentions to keep ears clean may be risking the ability to hear. The ear is a delicate and intricate area, including the skin of the ear canal and the eardrum. Therefore, special care should be given to this part of the body. Start by discontinuing the use of cotton-tipped applicators for cleaning earwax and Read More

A hole or rupture in the eardrum, a thin membrane that separates the ear canal and the middle ear, is called a perforated eardrum. The medical term for eardrum is tympanic membrane. The middle ear is connected to the nose by the Eustachian tube, which equalizes pressure in the middle ear. A perforated eardrum is Read More

An ear infection occurs when fluid becomes trapped in the middle ear following a viral or bacterial infection. This painful affliction is most common in children, but can affect people of all ages. Ear infections can be either acute (of short duration) or chronic (persisting or reoccurring frequently). Causes The majority of ear infections are Read More

What is AIED? Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) is an inflammatory condition of the inner ear. It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks cells in the inner ear that are mistaken for a virus or bacteria. AIED is a rare disease occurring in less than one percent of the 28 million Americans with a Read More

The medical term for Surfer’s Ear is exostosis which is a bone growth blocking the ear canal. The benign tumor is caused by irritation of the bone by cold water. Heat loss also occurs by evaporation when cold or warm air blows over wet skin even in the tropics. A PROPLUG keeps a warm pocket Read More

Affecting the outer ear, swimmer’s ear is a painful condition resulting from inflammation, irritation, or infection. These symptoms often occur after water gets trapped in your ear, with subsequent spread of bacteria or fungal organisms. Because this condition commonly affects swimmers, it is known as swimmer’s ear. Swimmer’s ear (also called acute otitis externa) often Read More

Otitis media refers to inflammation of the middle ear. When infection occurs, the condition is called “acute otitis media.” Acute otitis media occurs when a cold, allergy, or upper respiratory infection, and the presence of bacteria or viruses lead to the accumulation of pus and mucus behind the eardrum, blocking the Eustachian tube. This causes Read More

What is Otosclerosis? Otosclerosis is a condition of the middle ear that causes hearing loss which gets worse over time. Unlike hearing loss resulting from damage to the inner ear, the hearing loss from otosclerosis is often reversible. The name otosclerosis comes from the Greek words for “hard” (scler-o) “ear” (oto). This is because otosclerosis is Read More

What Is Hyperacusis? Hyperacusis is a condition that arises from a problem in the way the brain’s central auditory processing center perceives noise. It can often lead to pain and discomfort. Individuals have difficulty tolerating sounds which do not seem loud to others, such as the noise from running faucet water, riding in a car, Read More

What is Acoustic Neuroma? Acoustic neuroma is the name commonly applied to a benign tumor arising from the sheath cells of the vestibular component of the 8th cranial nerve. The correct name is vestibular schwannoma. However, since the prominent early symptoms are unilateral hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) due to compression of Read More

Eustachian tube Dysfunction can lead to discomfort when flying.The middle ear is an air-filled space separated from the external ear by the tympanic membrane (ear drum). The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear space to the nasopharynx at the back of the nose. It normally opens with swallowing or yawning and allows equalization of pressure Read More

What is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)? Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is an inner ear problem that results in short lasting, but severe, room-spinning vertigo. Its name, BPPV, indicates that it is benign, or not a very serious or progressive condition; paroxysmal, meaning sudden and unpredictable in onset; positional, because it comes about with Read More

An abnormal skin growth in the middle ear behind the eardrum is called cholesteatoma. Repeated infections and/or a tear or pulling inward of the eardrum can allow skin into the middle ear. Cholesteatomas often develop as cysts or pouches that shed layers of old skin, which build up inside the middle ear. Over time, the Read More