Disorders of The Outer Ear And Hearing Loss
Disorders of The Outer Ear And Hearing Loss
One of the five key senses is hearing. Using our ears, we can hear the magnificent sounds happening around us.
The human ear can be divided into 3 parts. The inner, middle, and outer ears. We need the proper functioning of all three of them for proper hearing.
However, many disorders, problems, and sometimes straight-up blockages can obstruct one’s hearing. These can happen in the outer pinna or the inner eardrum as well.
Today, we’ll learn more about these different types of disorders, how they happen, and how they can be cured.
Let’s dive right in.
The Outer Ear
The outer ear is the part of the ear that’s visible to the outside world. It’s made up of the auricle, or pinna, and the ear canal. The auricle is the fleshy, curved part of the ear that extends from the side of the head. The ear canal is a narrow, tube-like structure that leads from the outer ear to the eardrum. The ear canal is lined with skin that’s covered with tiny hairs. These hairs help to keep the ear canal clean by trapping dust and other particles.
So, some of the most common outer ear diseases are:
Disease #1: Microtia
A type of developmental anomaly that happens when the pinna or auricle (the meaty part of the external ear) doesn’t fully form. The amount of microtia depends on how much the auricle has formed. The degree of this can be put into 3 grades. A grade 1 ear is just a tiny ear with all the necessary tissue, a grade 2 ear is a little “peanut” ear with little to no tissue, and a grade 3 is only a pile of soft tissue and skin. Sometimes, a disorder known as anotia causes a person to be born without an auricle.
A skilled plastic surgeon can recompose the pinna to a more acceptable appearance using a prosthesis. This can be done with the patient’s own rib tissues or plastic-like material.
Disease #2: Auditory Canal Atresia
The partial or complete absence of ear canal development is known as auditory canal atresia. The lack of the tympanic membrane (also known as the eardrum) and underdevelopment of the middle ear and its bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup bones). Kids with auditory canal atresia experience hearing loss because sound can’t be properly transported into the middle and inner ear. In most cases, these kids have healthy, properly developing cochleas.
In some cases, surgeons can clear open the ear canal, create an eardrum, and reestablish the canal, allowing the sound transmission to the functional inner ear. Although canaloplasty, a surgical procedure to repair auditory canal atresia, can enhance hearing, it sometimes restores normal hearing across all frequencies.
Auditory canal atresia is also treated using bone-conducting hearing aids. These gadgets cause the skull bones to vibrate, carrying sound to the eardrum. These hearing aids are fastened to a soft or hard headband snugly wrapped around the head. Kids suffering from auditory canal atresia in both ears must use hearing aids to develop speech properly.
As an alternative to the previously mentioned bone-conducting hearing aids worn on a headband, special implanted bone-anchored implants are gaining popularity. The skull bones are surgically fixed with magnetic plates or titanium posts that hold these devices in place (making the term “bone anchored hearing device”). These surgically implanted devices have been given the go-ahead by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US for kids 5 years and older.
The main characteristic of these gadgets is that to effectively transmit sound to the eardrum, they must establish intimate contact with the skull bones.
Disease #3: Ear Wax Blockage
Special glands that generate wax are found lining the epidermis of the ear canal. Ear wax has a somewhat acidic pH, making it waterproof and preventing ear infections. In a healthy ear, the outermost layer of skin moves toward the mouth of the ear canal and, in the process, carries the wax out of the ear. The blockage might happen if the skin is either dry or diseased, the ear canal is convoluted or small, or both. Another reason can be the usage of cotton swabs – these end up pushing the wax inside rather than cleaning your ear – avoid using them in general.
Excess wax can also cause conductive hearing loss.
Disease #4: Swimmer’s Ear
Exostoses is more popularly known as swimmer’s ear. These are slow-growing bony extensions of the outer auditory canal that gradually shrink and clog the canal. This happens when people are frequently exposed to extremely cold water, which generally happens to swimmers and divers.
The ear canal may eventually become partially or completely occluded due to this gradual process. As a result, the ear canal becomes frequently blocked with water, it frequently becomes infected, and even hearing problems occur.
Many individuals can receive conservative care, learning how to take care of their ears and wearing earplugs to prevent water from getting in and preventing infections and deterioration. Surgery can be used to remove the additional bone and restore the normal size of the ear canal when the situation is difficult.
Disease #5: Furuncle
A furuncle is a skin infection that occurs when a hair follicle becomes infected with bacteria. The infection is also known as a boil. If it becomes big enough – it can also cause conductive hearing loss.
Disease #6: Foreign Bodies Occlusion
Foreign bodies occlusion in the ear occurs when a foreign body, such as a piece of food, beans, cotton swabs, or even insects, gets lodged in the ear canal. This can cause pain, inflammation, and even infection. If the foreign body is not removed, it can cause permanent damage to the ear.
To Wrap It up
Some of the listed diseases were congenital and had no way of stopping them. You just have to visit a doctor for those. However, some could be prevented if you take proper care of your ear. So as our parents and doctors always recommended, taking good care of your ears is the takeaway.
- About the Author
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Dr Ronald Chin is an Australian trained Otolaryngologist Head and Neck Surgeon.
After graduating as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Dr Chin undertook further specialised training in Head and Neck Cancer at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
He has published many research papers and is an active teacher and scholar.
As part of his subspecialty training, Dr Chin has training in Laser, Da Vinci Robotic, Flex Robotic and complex surgical techniques.
In addition to specialised Head and Neck Cancer, Dr Chin also enjoys general adult and paediatric ENT Surgery and practices sinus, snoring/sleep and general paediatric ENT Surgical procedures.
Dr Ronald Chin works as a general Otolaryngologist, offering a wide range of surgical and non-surgical treatments including ear surgery, nose surgery and throat surgery. He provides treatment for chronic conditions such as tonsillitis, sinus problems and problems with hearing.
He is also involved in the diagnosis and treatment of many conditions such as facial paralysis, head and neck cancer and sleep apnea. As well as performing surgery on children, he also provides specialist care for adults, including the treatment of throat disorders, voice loss and ear problems.
Dr Chin has also served as a Conjoint Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, a Conjoint Associate Professor at Western Sydney University and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney.