Ear

This is a loss over time of your ability to hear clearly. For most people, hearing loss is a natural part of growing older. It can cause problems with your ability to communicate with others. It can be frustrating for you and for those around you.

We all need to be aware of the danger of noise-induced hearing loss. That's hearing loss that's caused by loud noise. It tends to happen over time. When you finally notice it, your hearing is permanently damaged. Let's learn more about this type of hearing loss, and how you can prevent it.

This is a form of hearing loss that can develop quickly and spontaneously. You may wake up and find that you have lost hearing in one ear, and you may not know why. This can be a frightening and frustrating experience.

This is an irritation of your middle ear. That's the part of your ear just behind your eardrum. In a healthy ear, fluid drains out of the middle ear through a passage called the "Eustachian tube." But when the middle ear is inflamed, fluid can't drain well.

If you've lost some of your hearing, you know how frustrating it can be. You may miss parts of what people are saying. And people may leave you out of conversations altogether. But there are some simple things you can do to make communication easier.

This is a tear or a hole in your eardrum. The eardrum is a thin membrane at the back of your ear canal. Normally it seals the ear canal, keeping germs and debris from reaching the deeper parts of your ear. The eardrum helps you hear by transmitting sound waves to the structures behind it. A ruptured eardrum can cause problems.

This is an inflammation, irritation or infection of your ear. It can affect the ear canal and the outer part of your ear. Swimmer's ear is most common in teens and young adults. It can be a short-term problem, or something that keeps coming back.

If you hear an annoying buzzing or ringing sound in one or both ears, you have tinnitus. It can bother you a lot. Tinnitus is a problem with your auditory system. That's the system that lets you hear. The problem may be in the ear. It may be in the nerve that connects your ear to your brain. Or, it may be in the part of your brain that makes sense of sound signals. Usually, tinnitus is not a sign that you have a serious issue.

If you feel like you're spinning for no reason, you have vertigo. This dizziness can be a nuisance, but it's usually not a sign of anything serious. It can interrupt your day. And it can put you at risk for falling.

We tend to think of hearing loss as mainly a "hearing" problem. But it also affects your social life, often in ways you may not even realize. As communication becomes harder for you, you may get left out of conversations. You may get left out of groups. Gradually, you become more and more isolated. This isn't good for your brain or your emotional health. But hearing aids can change that. Let's look at some of the benefits.

Your middle ear may have been injured or infected recently. Over time, certain growths or bone disease can also harm the middle ear. Left untreated, these problems often lead to lifelong hearing loss. Read on to learn more.

Most people age 65 and older have some hearing loss. By age 80, almost everyone does. Hearing loss often occurs slowly over the years. So you may not realize your hearing has gotten worse.

Ménière's disease is a problem with the inner ear. This part of the ear is responsible for balance as well as hearing. This sheet will tell you more about the disease and its symptoms.

An injury or infection can cause your eardrum to tear (rupture). This creates a hole (perforation) that may affect your hearing.

Tinnitus is the term for a noise in your ear not caused by an outside sound. It is also called ringing in the ears. Learn about some of the treatments that may help this condition.

Impacted earwax is a buildup of the natural wax in the ear. Impacted earwax is very common. It can cause symptoms such as hearing loss.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a problem with the inner ear. BPPV causes a feeling of spinning. It is a common problem of the vestibular system.

Ear barotrauma is a type of ear damage. It is caused by a difference in pressure between the inside of the ear and the air around you.

Labyrinthitis is the inflammation of part of the inner ear called the labyrinth. It usually affects only one ear. A nerve in the head called the eighth cranial nerve may also be inflamed. Labyrinthitis causes a sense of spinning and hearing loss. In most people these go away over time.

Otosclerosis is a disease of the bones in the ear. A bone in the middle ear becomes stuck in place. This affects your hearing.

Acoustic neuroma is a rare noncancer tumor. It affects hearing and balance when the tumor presses on the nerves in the inner ear.

A middle ear infection occurs behind the eardrum. It is most often caused by a virus or bacteria. Most kids have at least one middle ear infection by the time they are 3 years old. But adults can also get them.

This surgery removes a tumor called an "acoustic neuroma." It's found on a nerve in the middle ear.

Mastoidectomy and meatoplasty are types of ear surgery. Mastoidectomy removes part of the mastoid bone (the large bone behind the earlobe). It may be done if tiny air cells in the bone become infected or damaged. Meatoplasty makes the opening into the ear canal (meatus) larger. It may be done after mastoidectomy to make it easier to check and clean the ear.

Meatoplasty is a type of ear surgery. It is done on the meatus (opening into the ear canal). The surgery may be needed to widen the opening. Or it may be needed to help the meatus line up better with the ear canal. This helps keep the ear canal from getting blocked with wax and debris. It also helps reduce the risk of ear infections.

A cochlear implant is a device that helps reverse nerve-related hearing loss. It can treat hearing loss that will not respond to hearing aids. During cochlear implant surgery, the device is implanted into the inner ear (cochlea). A few weeks after surgery, the device is activated and hearing is restored.

You are having surgery on your middle ear. This sheet can help you get ready. If you have any questions, ask your healthcare provider beforehand.

Tympanoplasty can repair a damaged eardrum, stop infection, and improve hearing. During surgery, you may be given general anesthesia, or local anesthesia with sedation. Tympanoplasty takes about 1 to 3 hours. It may be done along with a mastoidectomy or an ossicular chain reconstruction. The eardrum is at the end of the ear canal.

Mastoidectomy can remove infected bone and growths from the middle ear. But it may not always improve your hearing in the affected ear. Read on to learn more.

This surgery can improve conductive hearing. It can be done to replace a damaged malleus or incus bone.

This surgery can improve conductive hearing. In some cases, all 3 middle ear bones are replaced.

Stapes surgery can improve conductive hearing. Learn more about this surgery here.

Most likely, you'll leave the hospital the same day as your surgery. Then you can return home to heal. You may need to stay longer if other health problems need to be watched.

The type of surgery you've had and your lifestyle will affect how long it takes you to get better. Plan on healing at home for at least 1 to 2 weeks. You can do certain things to speed up the healing process.

Many people find that a correctly selected and fitted hearing aid helps them hear much better. Here's what you need to know.

Your audiologist or hearing aid specialist will work with you to make the best all-around choice. This choice should reflect your needs, preferences, and budget.

You have chosen a hearing aid. You'll then begin the process of having it fitted. The hearing aid will be custom-made for you. Read on to learn more.

A detailed look at how to care for your hearing aid, including daily cleaning and changing batteries. Includes safety tips on keeping hearing aid batteries out of the reach of children and pets.

A hearing aid is an aid to better hearing. It's not a cure for hearing loss. Learn how to get the most out of your new hearing aid.

It's not easy to focus on a conversation when there's a lot of background noise. That's where aural rehab can help. With this training, you'll improve your hearing by learning new listening techniques. Read on to learn more.

ALDs can help you hear better. They are used alone or with a hearing aid. ALDs amplify sounds that you may hear in your daily life. Read on to learn about the different kinds of ALDs.

Meniere's disease is a problem with the inner ear. Certain medications can help manage the symptoms of this disease. Some help reduce fluid pressure in the inner ear. Others help ease symptoms themselves. But no medication will cure Meniere's disease. And no one medication is right for everyone.

Ménière's disease affects the inner ear. It causes problems with balance and hearing. In severe cases, surgery may be needed to treat it.

Salt contains sodium, which makes your body hold excess fluid. Because Meniere's disease is caused by fluid buildup in the inner ear, eating less sodium may help relieve your symptoms.

Certain changes may help you manage Meniere's disease. Some of these changes are minor. Others require more dedication, such as cutting down on stress.

Here's what you need to know about home care after a mastoidectomy. This is the surgical removal of the mastoid bone, a bone you can feel behind the ear.

You had a procedure called tympanoplasty to fix a damaged eardrum, stop infection, and improve hearing. Here's what you need to do at home after this procedure.

A look at treatment and prevention of ear barotrauma. This type of ear damage is caused by a difference in pressure between the inside of the ear and the air around you.

The middle ear is an air-filled chamber that lies behind the eardrum. Pressure in the middle ear changes to match air pressure outside of the eardrum. When inside and outside pressures are balanced, the eardrum is flexible and normal hearing is more likely. Problems happen when air pressure in the middle ear drops. This is often due to a block in the eustachian (u-STA-shun) tube, the narrow channel connecting the ear with the back of the throat.

Sound moves through the air like the ripples you see after throwing a stone into a pond. Your ears collect these waves of sound around you and send them to your brain. This is how the parts of your ear work to let you hear.

Read on to learn the inner ear's role in helping to balance the body.

We all know hearing aids help you communicate. But did you know that hearing aids may also improve your brain function and memory? Let's learn more about that.

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Your hearing must be tested to find the type of hearing loss you have and how severe it is. Read on to learn what to expect.

The results of your hearing test are shown on a graph called an audiogram. It shows which types of sounds you can and can't hear. A sample audiogram is provided here.

Diagnosing a middle ear problem takes several steps. You may be asked questions about your child's health history. Your child's eardrums will be examined. Tests may also be done. Read on to learn what you can expect.

"An audiometric test measures how well you hear. It's quick and painless. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and your employer may require this test each year. Follow through with it. You can't ""fail"" a hearing test. The test results just help your employer know whether more hearing protection is required."