Know About the Common Ear Disorders

Only very few people seem to care about their ears, unaware of the fact that the ears are delicate parts of the human body. The ears may seem resilient, but they can suffer from loud noise exposure and trauma. Millions of people around the world are suffering from any of the common ear disorders. Many of them do not know they are. It is probably important to learn about these common ailments and their symptoms.

Hearing Loss

There are generally two types of hearing loss: conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Both cause a deficit in hearing that can range from mild to severe.

Conductive hearing loss occurs when there is a disruption of the passage of sound waves through the hearing system. It can result from a blockage, an injury, or an abnormality. The usual causes of conductive hearing loss are other ear disorders like impacted earwax, perforated eardrum, and ear infection. This type of hearing loss can be corrected by treating the initial problem that causes hearing difficulty in the first place. For example, impacted earwax can be removed to correct the hearing.

Sensorineural hearing loss is more difficult to treat and is commonly not completely treatable. This type of hearing loss is caused by aging, frequent noise exposure, sudden exposure to extremely loud noise, and ototoxic medications. Sensorineural hearing loss is due to damaged nerves.

Signs that you may be suffering from hearing loss are muffled hearing and inability to understand speech completely. People with early signs of hearing impairment notice they have trouble grasping the words spoken during a conversation and may often ask the person they are having a conversation with to repeat what themselves. They also tend to turn the TV louder than anybody else in the house. Telephone conversations are also a challenge for these people.

Ear Infections

Ear infections usually affect either the ear canal or the middle ear. Otitis externa is what we call an infection that occurs in the outer ear or ear canal. It is usually due to left moisture in the ear canal after swimming, hence the name swimmer’s ear. Moisture in the warm outer ears encourages the proliferation of bacteria. Another cause is abrasion or scratch on the ear canal, which can happen through excessive cleaning or inserting of foreign objects into the ear.

Another common ear infection, especially among children, is otitis media. It occurs in the middle ear and causes sensation of pressure, hearing loss, pain, and fever. Children with otitis media may complain about earache and have trouble sleeping. This infection can occur as a result of infection or inflammation of the Eustachian tubes. It is usually preceded by an upper respiratory tract infection, like common cold.

Vertigo

This is a condition described as a false spinning sensation. A person suffering from vertigo sees his or her surrounding is whirling about. Vertigo is not a disorder on its own, but it is a sign of one. A common cause of vertigo is a disturbance in the fluids in the inner ears, where the seat of balance lies. People with recurrent vertigo may also have these ear disorders benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere’s disease, or labyrinthitis. Spells of whirling sensation and dizziness can start suddenly and strike you anytime. The sensation is debilitating and slight movements can trigger worse whirling sensations.

Impacted Earwax

Normally the ears have their natural way of removing earwax or cerumen. But in some cases, the earwax gets lodged inside the ear and become impacted. Buildup of earwax can cause hearing loss and earache. The usual cause is frequent use of cotton-tipped swabs to clean the ears. Insertion of objects into the ears can cause impaction, which can be removed only by a doctor or ear specialist.

Eardrum Rupture

Earache and hearing loss resulting from poking your ears are probably an indication of eardrum perforation. Inserting sharp objects or even cotton-tipped swabs into the ears can cause injury to the eardrums. It is never advised to clean your ears by inserting anything into the ears. Cleaning the ears can be done by wiping the opening of the ears with a clean cloth. A perforated eardrum can be painful, but it heals on its own without medication. Generally, impacted earwax and perforated eardrums are not really serious ear disorders.

Tinnitus

Ringing in the ears or tinnitus is a common complaint. It is described by most sufferers as sensation of weird high-pitched noise in the ears. Tinnitus is most noticeable in quiet environments and at night. Although it is harmless, it can trouble the sufferer. People who hear the sounds of tinnitus may suffer from sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression.

The usual cause of tinnitus is damage to the inner ears caused by exposure to noise. This damage is often irreparable and can continue if the patient does not he has it already. Many people with tinnitus are unaware of they have the condition. Mild tinnitus is often unnoticeable, but it can worsen if noise exposure continues.

People with tinnitus also suffer from hearing loss. Hence, tinnitus sufferers are often screened for hearing impairment. However, some people suffer from idiopathic tinnitus, which occurs without apparent cause.