Disorders of The Outer Ear And Hearing Loss
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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.

Glue ear, after draining the ear drum

Glue ear, intact ear drum

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