How to Determine If You Have Otosclerosis

Otosclerosis is a common middle ear disorder that can lead to hearing loss. It is a condition that affects the middle ear bones and is said to be due to genetic anomaly and can, therefore, be inherited. But the likelihood of having this condition is not fully understood. What we do know is that it affects more Caucasians than any other race. It also affects women twice more than men, and it has not been fully explained why such variations occur.

1. Familiarity with the symptoms is important. The common symptoms associated with hardening of the bones in the middle ear are hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). This is why if you suffer from a long bout of tinnitus or muffled hearing for some period of time, you have to go to a doctor to find out what is wrong. It’s not usually recommended that you treat the symptoms first. So before you find treatment for tinnitus, you have to have your hearing assessed for the possible culprits. Some people experience vertigo or dizziness, which is also a classic symptom of ear disorders.

2. There is no other way to find out if you have otosclerosis but to go through an ear examination. There are a few of physicians you could go to. First, you can go to a GP who will order an initial assessment. Then you will be directed to an otologist or otolaryngologist.

3. During your checkup you will be asked a few questions like how long you have been suffering from the symptoms and how intense and frequent the symptoms are. Your medical history shall be obtained, including the medications you’re taking.

4. Classic hearing test includes one with a tuning fork, and if you have the condition you will most likely not hear the sound due to fixation of the little bones. Rinne test will further tell whether bone conduction is better than air conduction. That will tell if you can hear better with the sound conducted through your facial and cranial bones than conduction through the classic sound pathway (ear canal to ear drum to ossicles to cochlea and to auditory nerve). Another test determines which ear that experiences ringing of the ears is more affected—the Weber test.

5. Physical examinations are also conducted to determine abnormalities within the hearing pathway. Doctors look for the Schwartze sign, which is an indication of otosclerosis. CT scans can show abnormalities in the middle ear. At the same time, audiometric tests will reveal the extent of hearing you are suffering from.