Case Studies...
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A Brief History of Hearing Aids
The path from the early beginnings of hearing devices used before the late 19th century is an interesting one, with developments in other areas pushing forward hearing aid evolution....
Acoustic Neuroma: Benign Tumour from Auditory Nerve
Acoustic neuroma is a type of benign tumour found around the auditory nerve of the central nervous system. Treatment will usually require surgery or a course of radiotherapy. Although benign, it can s...
All About Ear Plugs
Ear plugs are very useful devices aimed at protecting the ears from damage and there are many varieties designed for specific types of protection....
Allergies and Ear Health
The ears can be affected by an allergic reaction to many things. Food allergies, nickel allergy and skin disorders can all affect the health of our ears....
Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease is a relatively newly discovered problem caused by the body's natural immune systemm sending anti-bodies to the ear to fight an infection that is not there. These anti-bod...
Balance, Vertigo and Ageing
Ageing can affect the inner ear causing hearing problems; if the vestibular apparatus is also affected, symptoms of dizziness and vertigo can lead to balance difficulties with an increased risk of inj...
Barotrauma
Barotrauma is a relatively harmless condition, often descibed when the ears 'pop' such as when in an aeroplane or when underwater. It is caused by the ears' inability to equalise air pressures betwen ...
Can Ear Wax Be Removed by Vacuum?
Ear wax build-up is a common problem for hearing aid users and often the wax must be treated by a doctor or specialist....
Can Earphones Damage Your Hearing?
Listening to loud music through earphones, particularly noise-cancelling earbuds regularly can cause loss of hearing. Young people using mp3 players and ipods are at high risk....
Can Genetics Explain Hearing Problems?
Some hearing defects are definitely genetic in origin. People with a mutation in one of their genes usually become deaf at an early age and show other signs of their genetic mutation....
Can Music Help Tinnitus?
New research done in Germany suggests that individually tailored music therapy can reduce tinnitus if listened to for at least 12 hours a day on a regular basis....
Can Stem Cells Restore Lost Hearing?
Stem cells are the focus of intense research and there are positive signs that they may form the basis of treatments to restore lost hearing in the future....
Cauliflower Ears
Cauliflower ears occur due to trauma to the cartilage of the outer structure of the ear. This cartilage normally gives the ear it shape, but when damaged can die and shrivel resulting in a cauliflower...
Causes of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is a very common disorder in the UK with over half of those over 60 suffering with some degree of hearing loss. There are three main types of hearing loss, each one concerning a different...
Cholesteatoma
A cholesteatoma is a non-malignant growth of the middle or inner ear, and can be of a congenital origin, or as a consequence of an alternative complaint of the ear. It is often treated with anti-bioti...
Common Vestibular Disorders
Vestibular disorders are illnesses that affect the inner ear causing balance problems. The most common include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, labyrinthitis and Meniere’s disease....
Cysts and Tumours in the Ear
The ear is not an organ that is often affected by cancer but ear tumours can form, both on the outer flap of the ear, and inside the middle ear. Treatment usually involves surgery....
Dangers of Workplace Noise
Exposure to loud noise for long periods in a work environment can cause permanent damage to the hearing. Employers have a responsibility to protect their workers....
Discharge from the Ear or 'Otorrhea'
Otorrhea is a common and normally non-serious occurrence given when there is discharge from the ear.
The cause of the discharge must be found in order to rule out more serious conditions and to enab...
Dizziness: Is it Caused by a Virus?
Viral infections are a common cause of dizziness and vertigo, because the infection can affect the nerves in the inner ear....
Do Ear Trumpets Work?
Ear trumpets, which were a fashionable hearing aid in the past, all work in the same way; they are a better version of the pinna. The conical shape collects sound waves and concentrates them towards t...
Do you Have a Ruptured Eardrum?
A ruptured ear drum is a fairly common incidence with many people being unaware that they have ever suffered from the problem. It is not usually serious and in general,leaves few long term effects....
Drugs to Prevent Noise-induced Hearing Loss
Having a drug treatment that could be given during or after noise exposure that would limit or repair damage to the ear would represent a considerable advance...
Ear Canal Blockage
Ear canal blockage can be common in all age groups and affects men and women alike. It is particularly common in children and can be due to a build-up of wax, by the introduction of a foreign body ino...
Ear Candling for Reducing Ear Wax Build Up
Ear candling is an old fashioned method of removing wax from the ears. It is not recommended by ear health professionals in the UK and is usually now offered by complemenmtary therapists....
Ear Drops and Their Uses
Eard rops are a safe and effective way of introducing medications into the ear. The preparations used may be presrcibed anti-biotics or steroids, or oils or chemicals aiming at softening ear wax and r...
Ear Health in the Over 75s
Research has shown that many older people experience significant hearing problems but they often fail to get the treatment that could help them live easier lives....
Ear Infection
Ear infections can be a very unpleasant experience for the sufferer and symptoms can vary from person to person.
Infections of the ear are most likely to affect the outer ear (otitis externa) or the ...
Ear Injections for Meniere's Disease
Meniere’s disease affects the inner ear, so it causes dizziness, vertigo, loss of balance, sickness and hearing loss. There are various treatments, including ear injections....
Ear Piercing And Health
Historically and in modern society, ear piercing has always been a popular way of displaying jewellery, with new methods and piercing sites being practiced regularly....
Ear Trauma: Causes and Effects
Ear trauma is a term that covers any sort of physical damage to any part of the ear that is caused by an external force or event. It does not cover the effect of disease, infection or underlying illne...
Excess Wax
Ear wax is a naturally formed and useful substance found in the ears and acts as a protective layer, shielding the deeper structures of the ears from many harmful occurences. A build-up of wax happens...
Facts and Figures About Hearing Problems
The scale of hearing problems in the UK and wider population can be revealed very well by looking at detailed statistics....
Facts and Figures on Different Hearing Ranges
Different mammals on land and that live in the sea have hearing ranges across a different band of frequencies compared to humans....
Football Clubs for the Deaf
Deaf football is very active in the UK today but is not a new idea, having been around since the early 1870s. Sheffield set up the first official deaf football club, closely followed by Glasgow Athlet...
Genetic Testing and Deafness
Genetic testing for deafness in children, either by testing the parents or performing pre-implantation diagnosis of embryos may be technically straightforward but it is ethically quite complicated....
Glomus Tumours: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
Glomus tumours are cancerous growths that start in nerves associated with the jugular vein, one of the main veins that takes blood away from the brain....
Grommets and Your Ear
Grommets are commonly used tube shaped devices used for the treatment of persistent middle ear infections where fluid continues to build-up, called 'glue ear'. They are inserted during a surgical oper...
Has Flight in a Glider Affected My Ear?
Flying can cause unequal pressure between the inner ear and the outside air, causing ear popping. If the pressure builds up, the ear can get sore....
Have I Damaged My Child's Ears?
The ears are at risk of suffering damage everyday from a number of sources some of which are in our own homes....
Head Trauma and the Ear
Not only are the skull and brain at risk when a head injury is sustained, so too are the ears. Perforation of the ear drum, fractures and dislocation are all injuries that may be incurred following a ...
Hearing Problems in Children Due to CMV Infection
CMV infection is caused by cytomegalovirus, a member of the herpes family. When it affects a pregnant women, it can cause damage to the growing baby, leading to many health problems including hearing ...
Hearing Test Techniques
Hearing teats are vital in the early detection and treatment of many hearing disorders. Testing may become rountine if certain issues such as past history or family history indicate a high risk of dev...
Hearing Tests for Newborn Babies
It is common for newborn babies to now undergo a new screening procedure that aims to detect hearing loss. It is a painless test that only takes a few minutes and results can be given very quickly aft...
How Can I Check My Hearing?
Hearing loss happens with age and as a result of noise damage. To find out what your hearing is really like you can take on online hearing test or one by phone. These are free and will tell you if you...
How Does a Cochlear Implant Work?
A cochlear implant is an implanted device that turns sound waves into electrical impulses that are sent directly to the auditory nerve, allowing a profoundly deaf person to ‘hear’....
How I Coped With Sudden Deafness: A Case Study
Sudden deafness can be a terrifying thing to happen but people do learn to cope. Learning about some coping strategies and available treatments can help...
How The Ear Works
The ear is a complex piece of anatomy that is comprised of the outer, middle and inner ear compartments. Eachj sections contains its own antaomy and each has independent functioning abilities....
How the Inner Ear Helps You Walk Straight
The semi-circular canals, utricle and saccule are the key structures within the inner ear that help us balance. Understanding how they work can explain sea sickness and age-related vertigo....
How to Protect Your Ears
Protecting your ears is an essential part of maintaining good health. Once damaged, it cannot be guaranteed that normal hearing function will resume. By making a few changes and giving attention to so...
How Well Do You Know Your Ears?
The ear is a remarkable sensory organ that allows us to pick up and interpret sounds from our surroundings and also helps us maintain balance. How much do you know about your ears and how they work?...
How Your Genes Shape Your Ear Lobes
Like the face, the way your ear looks is a unique feature of your body. Although ears look similar, there are small differences in shape and structure of the pinna between different people....
I Beat Stress by Having Ear Acupuncture: A Case Study
Ear acupuncture is a type of acupuncture that can help people deal with severe emotional stress. This case study explains how it helped one woman as she faced losing her dad to cancer....
I Don't Hear as Well as I Used To: A Case Study
No matter how good your hearing is generally when you are young, it is common to suffer some hearing loss as you get older. Hearing tests, ear wax treatment and hearing aids can all help....
I Feel Dizzy and My Ear Itches: What Does it Mean?
Otitis media and otitis externa, the two main types of ear infection, can produce slightly different symptoms. Ear itching is more common in otitis externa....
I Had Hopi Ear Candling: A Case Study
Hopi ear candling is an alternative therapy that involves putting a special candle into the ear and then lighting the candle and letting it burn down....
I Had My Ears Pinned Back: A Case Study
Around one in a hundred people have ears that stick out and cause them to feel self-conscious. A simple ear pinning operation can correct the problem....
I Had to Learn to Live With Tinnitus: A Case Study
After a noisy accident at work, Alan develops tinnitus, a difficult condition to deal with. With help, he manages to learn to live with tinnitus and stops it ruining his life....
I Had to Wait a Year for a Digital Hearing Aid: A Case Study
Martin suffered serious hearing damage through an accident at work and had trouble getting compensation and getting a hearing aid on the NHS. After waiting a year, he went private for a digital hearin...
I Have Autoimmune Ear Disease: A Case Study
Autoimmune ear disease is rare but it strikes suddenly, as the body’s immune system attacks the nerves and tissues in the inner ear. Recovery is possible with very prompt treatment....
I Have Meniere's Disease: A Case Study
Meniere's disease causes a problem with the fluid balance in the inner ear; suffers can have acute attacks that are a cross between vertigo and sea sickness without warning....
I Lost My Ear: A Case Study
Ears can be severed after accidents, bitten off by animals or other people, or lost due to cancer treatment. Prosthetic ears are available and implanting them is a specialised surgical technique....
I Went Deaf After a Cold: A Case Study
Having a viral infection can lead to an ear infection that causes inflammation that closes the Eustachian tubes, the tubes between the back of the throat and the inner ear, causing temporary deafness....
Is Non Allergic Rhinitis the Cause of my Problems?
Sometimes a normal head cold can have a severe effect on the ears which can have a lasting effect on the individual....
Is There a Vaccine to Reduce Ear Infections?
Scientists have recently developed a new vaccine that could see the end of middle ear infections in very young children. These infections are extremely common in the young and can cause a lot of pain ...
Is There Such a Thing as a Lazy Ear?
Children can develop a lazy ear as well as a lazy eye. If repeated ear infections cause temporary deafness, this can reduce the formation of nerve connections in the auditory nerve....
Labyrinthitis
Labyrinthitis occurs when inflammatrion and infection occurs in the structures of the inner ear. Normally these structures allow us to balance, manage motion and hear efficiently, when these structure...
Large Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome
Large vestibular aqueduct syndrome is a fairly new discovery to medicine and continues to be researched and understood. It is thought to develop in childhood and is due to an enlargement to very tiny ...
Living with a Cochlear Implant
Profound sensorineural deafness that occurs in young adults can be treated effectively with a cochlear implant, an electronic device that restores a sense of hearing....
Living With a Deaf Parent: Life Story
Deafness is regarded as a disability but growing up with a deaf parent does not mean that a child is deprived. Such families are often close and communicate well....
Looking After Your Ears
Looking after your ears is an important but often over looked part of general body hygiene. By simple cleaning, drying and preventative measures being taken, the health of our ears can normally be mai...
Mastoiditis
Mastoiditis is not a common disorder in modern societry thanks to the development of anti-biotic treatments. It occurs when an infection of the middle ear spreads to the mastoid bone resulting in an i...
Measles, German Measles and Deafness
If children or adults catch measles, mumps or German measles, complications of all three infections can cause hearing loss. Only German measles can be passed on to an unborn baby to cause congenital d...
Meniere's Disease and the Inner Ear
Meniere's disease is a term given when a person is suffering from one or a collection of a variety of given symtpoms. It is not totally understood and a definate cause has not been found.
Symptoms ca...
My Child Had a Bad Ear Infection: A Case Study
Ear infections in young children are very common but can be very painful and frightening for both child and parents....
My Ears Really Were Burning: A Case Study
Rob never thought to put sun lotion on his ears when he went for a long beach walk in Tenerife and suffered the pain and discomfort of bad sunburn. If only he had worn a hat, or used sun lotion......
My Pierced Ears Got Infected: A Case Study
You can get ear piercing in many places but it’s best to go somewhere reputable, who offer advice on aftercare. Infected ear lobes are painful and can lead to more serious infections if left untreated...
My Son Had a Cholesteatoma: A Case Study
A cholesteatoma is a growth of the inner ear. It occurs when skin cells start to grow inside the ear drum and build up. Untreated, this can destroy the bones of the inner ear and affect hearing....
Myringoplasty
A myringoplasty is a surgical operation perofrmed to seal a hole in the ear drum that has not healed naturally. It requires the use of a skin graft that will be taken from another part of the anatomy,...
Myringotomy
A myringotomy is a surgical procedure used for relieving fluid build-up and infection behind the ear drum. a small incision is made into the ear drum and often a grommet will be placed to keep the ope...
Objects In The Ear
The most likely age group to suffer from having a foreign body in the ear is young children, though very occasionally an adult may find that they have lost a hearing aid battery or fragment of a clean...
Otitis Media and Infection of the Middle Ear
Otitis media is a term given to an infection of the middle ear. It is normally of bacterial origin and is usually short-lived and causes no long term damage....
Otoplasty or Pinning Back of the Ears
Otoplasty is a surgical term meaning pinning back of the ears. Many people are highly sensitive to their physical imperfections or are subject to bullying and ridicule due to prominent ears, and surge...
Otosclerosis or Abnormal Growth in the Middle Ear
Otosclerosis occurs when there is abnormal development of the very small bones of the middle ear, particularly of the stapes bone.
Treatment options can include surgery or the use of hearing aid and ...
Perforated Eardrum
A perforation of the ear drum involves damage to the round vibrating structure that lays between the outer and middle ear. It is not normally serious and will usually heal itself over time requiring n...
Pneumococcal Meningitis and Deafness
Pneumococcal meningitis can cause deafness because the infection, and the body’s response to it, damages nerve cells in the cochlea in the inner ear....
Presbycusis And Sociocusis: Gradual Hearing Loss
Presbycusis and Sociocusis are terms given to hearing loss that is age related, though Sociocusis is more often defined as hearing loss related to prolonged exposure to non-occupational related noises...
Pressure Sores and the Ears
Many people, especially those who are in hospital and are vulnerable to wounds, may find that their ears are at risk of tissue damage and pressure sores....
Prominent Ears: How They Can Affect Children
Some children have very prominent ears, which can make them a target for school bullies. This can harm their self esteem and lead to life-long problems with self image....
Psoriasis and the Ear
Psoriasis is a common skin disease that affects about five per cent of the population in the UK. It takes many forms and, in some people, can affect the skin inside the ears....
Punk Rock Made Me Deaf: A Case Study
Listening to very loud music over a significant period of time can cause hearing loss because of noise damage to the delicate structures in the ear. Alison’s story is common in people now in early mid...
Recognising and Confronting Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is an issue that affects a great many people. For those with gradual hearing loss, the condition may go unnoticed by the person as the naturally adapt to their changing hearing status....
Sensorineural Deafness and Noise Damage
Sensorineural deafness is hearing loss that is related to problems of the inner ear of pathways connecting the ear to the brain. There are many conditions incorporated into this group including age, d...
Sign Language as a Communication Tool
Sign language is a language in its own right but it relies heavily on using the fingers to spell out words and phrases. British Sign Language is the main form of communication used by 50 000 deaf peop...
Swimmer's Ear
Swimmer's ear is the result of an infection of the outer ear and ear canal. It can be caused by a variety of reasons though commonly, spending prolonged amounts of time in water is to blame....
The Connection Between Hearing and Speech
Hearing and speech are intimately connected. A child who has never been able to hear needs intensive speech therapy to be able to communicate in this way....
The Ears and Culture
In many western cultures large ears are often the butt of amyn jokes but in other cultures large ear lobes or those that are very prominent are regarded with respect and can help establish social stat...
The Effects of Over Exposure to Water: Surfer's Ear
Surfer's ear is a complaint of the ear canal whereby bone growths develop and eventually obstruct the canal. Usually caused by over exposure to cold weather conditions and cold water it was named surf...
The Impact of Flight on the Ears
Pain in the ears during a plane flight is caused by differences in air pressure between the inner ear and the cabin. Problems tend to be worse on landing, and in people with a blocked Eustachian tube....
Tinnitus and Treatments Available
Tinnitus is the name given to the condition of experiencing buzzing, humming, whistling or ringing in the ears. For most people, this condition is temporary and reduces and disappears on its own, but ...
Tinnitus Maskers
Tinntius maskers are electronic devices designed to help diffuse the sound disturbances experienced with tinntius. They aim to produce white noise which causes the person to redirect their attention a...
Tiny Microphones Help Soldiers Hear in Battle
A tiny microphone capable of pinpointing the exact position of a source of sound could be useful to soldiers in battle and also in air traffic control in poor visibility conditions....
Types of Ear Surgery
Ear surgery can be used to repair damaged structures within the inner ear, to remove ear tumours, to fit cochlear implants and grommets and to replace the external part of the ear....
Use of Antibiotics for Ear Infections
Anti-biotics are effective medications used for the treatment of bacterial infections. In modern society however, their overuse has caused super-bugs to develop which are resistant to many types of th...
Use of Antibiotics in Children's Ear Infections
Traditional treatments for children's ear infections were antibiotics, but recent evidence has suggested that this is no longer an effective method unless the infection is prolonged or worsens and new...
Usher's Syndrome: Deterioration of Sight and Hearing
Usher's Syndrome is a disorder affecting a persons ability to both see and hear effectively. It is a genetic condition passed from both paretns who must be carriers of the defective gene....
Vertigo and the Inner Ear
Vertigo is a very unpleasant disorder causing varying amounts of anxiety and distress for the sufferer. Normally these episodes are short-lived and do not recur long-term. The classic symptoms of vert...
War Can Cause Deafness
Active combat duties carry the risk of exposure to the noise of gunfire and explosions which are both at the level that can cause hearing loss....
What Are the Treatments for Autoimmune Ear Disease?
Autoimmune ear disease is a condition that can cause the deterioration of hearing ability and will sometimes lead to total deafness. At the present time there is no definite cure for the problem....
What Causes Deafness?
Deafness is a controversial term given to those who suffer from some degree of hearing loss. It was once seen as a disability but now in modern society, thanks to advances in medicine and technology, ...
What Has Sea Sickness Got to Do With the Ear?
Sea sickness and other types of motion sickness are not a stomach problem - they arise because of signals from the inner ear that do not match signals from the eye....
What is an Ototoxic Drug?
Several classes of drugs that are used for pain relief, heart and kidney problems, infections and cancer are ototoxic and can damage the inner ear, causing drug-related hearing loss....
What is Auricular (ear) Acupuncture
Auricular acupuncture is a form of complementary therapy based on the ancient Chinese art of acupuncture. The use of fine needles, placed in specific locations of the ear have been found to be benefic...
What is Glue Ear?
Glue ear is a very common condition, especially in childhood. It has many causes with the most common being a persitant or recurring ear infection....
What is Hyperacusis?
Having much better than average hearing is relatively rare; people who suffer from hyperacusis describe it as living in a world in which the volume control has been turned up and left on full....
What is Otitis Externa?
Otitis externa describes inflammation caused by an infection of the outer ear, the visible flaps of skin and cartilage that we usually just call ‘the ear’ - it can also extend into the ear canal as fa...
What Side Effects can Happen After an Injury?
This answer responds to the question about head and ear injury....
What to Expect from Ear Surgery
Ear surgery can be a very frightening prospect for the person who is to undergo a procedure. Doctors and nurses alike understand this and will try to help make your experience as calm and uneventful a...
What Types of Congenital Hearing Problems Are There?
Congenital hearing problems are those that are present in a baby right from the time that it is born. They can be caused by genetics or by problems with infection during pregnancy....
What Types of Hearing Aid are Available Nowadays?
Hearing aids are very useful pieces of equipment designed to help those with hearing loss to maintain their quality of life by helping to alter the way in which sound is heard. There are different var...
What's the Point of Earwax?
It may come as a surprise to know that there are two main types of ear wax and which one you have is generally related to your race. Whichever type you have, ear wax is definitely necessary....
Who Was Miller Reese Hutchison?
Miller Reese Hutchison was an American inventor who was one of the pioneering engineers in the field of hearing aid development....
Why do I Keep Getting Ear Pain?
Ear pain may not be solely caused by problems in the ears as they can be affected by complaints of a dental or arthritic nature too....
Why Hearing Tests Are Important for Diabetics
The increased risk of blindness in diabetics is well known but now it appears that they are also at greater risk of hearing loss. Experts recommend regular hearing checks....
Will Gene Therapy Reverse Deafness?
Gene therapy may reverse human deafness in the future but several years more research will be needed. It is being used experimentally in animals with some very promising results....