Common ear problems

Our ears are very complex organs which can easily become damaged; sometimes this damage can lead to deafness while in others it leads to only temporary hearing loss, here are some of the common problems which can have an affect on the hearing.

Problems with the outer ear

Any blockage in the external ear canal can cause deafness or hard of hearing, the most common of these is a build up of wax. The healthy ear needs wax to keep it healthy and this is normally when under control, however sometimes for various reasons the wax can build up and then it can cause hearing loss. You should never try to remove stubborn wax yourself but instead see your doctor who can syringe them for you to remove the wax.

Otitis externa

This condition happens when the skin of the ear canal becomes inflamed; this can be caused by a skin condition known as eczema or by a scratch to the ear. Although it doesn’t usually cause hearing loss or deafness you can have a full feeling in your ear and the ear itself is very painful.

Problems with the middle ear

Otitis media

This condition is usually caused by a bacterial infection and causes the Eustachian tube to become blocked, when the tube becomes blocked then the ear will fill up with fluid and this causes intense pain and hearing loss. The condition is usually found in children though anyone of any age can suffer from it.

Otosclerosis

This condition will usually affects women more than men starting from around the age of 30 and is known to run in the family. It is a condition that is caused by a bony overgrowth of the stapes; the stapes stretches across the middle ear and if you suffer from this condition deafness is gradual. Hearing aids can be beneficial up to a point but usually an operation called a stapedectomy is recommended, this involves the insertion of a tiny peg to replace the stapes.

Damaged ossicles

If you suffer serious head trauma or a serious infection then the ossicles which are tiny bones in the middle ear can become damaged and this can cause hearing loss, sometimes babies are born with malformed ossicles, however they can be repaired with an operation.

Perforated eardrum

A perforated eardrum can result from the infection otitis media if it is left untreated, perforated eardrum is also caused by several other factors such as injuries to the head, very loud noises such as explosions or by poking a q-tip too far into the ear canal. Hearing loss caused by a perforated eardrum is usually only temporary and the perforation will normally heal itself.

Tinnitus

This is a noise which is heard in the ear almost constantly and can range from a whistling sound, ringing, rushing or buzzing and there are many reasons for its cause. Unfortunately there isn’t much that can be done for tinnitus but sufferers do learn to cope with it and most times don’t even notice it being there. While it doesn’t cause loss of hearing as such, it can be sometimes extremely difficult to hear due to the loudness of the sounds in the ear.