The ears help with balance, especially while moving, and can even clean themselves by producing earwax which they also get rid of on their own. When not taken care of, it can result in ear diseases, such as hearing loss, that affect balance and be incredibly painful. Regardless, ear disorders require special treatment from professional doctors.
What Are The 5 Types of Ear Diseases?
1. Meniere’s Disease
Meniere’s Disease impacts the inner ear — particularly the endolymphatic sac, referred to as the labyrinth. The task of this vital semicircular canal is to process sound signals to the brain and the perception of balance.
Symptoms of Meniere’s Disease include:
- Sweating
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Palpitations
- Tinnitus
- Some degree of hearing loss
2.Otitis Externa (Swimmer’s Ear)
In medical terms, it is called ‘otitis externa’ (of the outer ear), which is a condition due to water getting trapped in the ear, causing virus or bacterial infection, and involves infection and inflammation of the ear canal. Also, it is often called swimmer’s ear because it mostly occurs in people who stay for a long time in the water since swimming is the most popular and common sport amongst any age group.
Otitis externa symptoms include:
- Severe ear pain
- Itching in the ear canal
- Discharging pus or liquid from the ear
- Some amount of temporary hearing loss
- Swelling and redness of the outer ear
- Tenderness while moving ear or jaw
- Swollen/sore glands in the throat
3. Otitis Media
Otitis media is middle ear inflammation and is very common in children. Typically, this results from a virus or bacterial infection spreading into the middle ear. Usually, individuals in their childhood years develop this condition, and many children often experience recurrent ear infections.
Symptoms of Otitis Media include:
- Irritability
- Ear pain
- A headache
- Neck pain
- Feel of fullness in the ear
- Liquid drainage from the ear
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Lack of balance
4. Labyrinthitis (Otitis Interna)
Labyrinthitis is inflammation of the inner ear, referred to as otitis interna. In this condition, severe dizziness or vertigo occurs, a sensation in which the affected individuals feel that they or their surroundings are spinning.
In addition, it also causes light-headedness and vomiting, which are some common symptoms of vertigo. However, this can get scary and may also stir worries in the affected individuals, who should see a doctor immediately.
Symptoms of Labyrinthitis include:
- Dizziness
- Vertigo
- Loss of balance
- Nausea and vomiting
- Tinnitus
- Difficult to focus eyes
Also, if any of the below symptoms are experienced, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately:
- Fainting
- Convulsions
- Slurred speech
- Fever
- Weakness
- Paralysis
- Double vision
5. Tinnitus
This ear condition is prevalent since it causes wheezing, ringing, or booming sensation in the ear of the affected person. In fact, it is also Meniere’s disease because of its common symptoms.
Everyone sometimes gets a little ringing in their ears, but when it goes on incessantly, it can make the person go nuts.
The damage to the tiny hair cells can result in Tinnitus located in the inner ear. More importantly, these tiny hair cells have a vital function: they pick up sound vibrations and send electrical impulses through the auditory nerve to the brain. The hair cells are usually active, making the brain think sound vibrations constantly enter the ear.
Symptoms of Tinnitus include:
- Ringing
- Buzzing
- Roaring
- Clicking
- Hissing
Other types of ear diseases include:
- Tympanosclerosis. To prevent tympanosclerosis, physicians suggest tubes for patients with a history of ear infections, which explains the scarring or thickening of the tympanic membrane. In fact, tympanosclerosis and a perforated eardrum can adversely impact the eardrum’s mobility and hearing acuity.
- Mastoiditis. It is a bacterial infection of the bone behind the ear, also referred to as a mastoid process. Typically, these types of ear diseases occur when an ear infection is improperly treated and spreads into the surrounding bone. Moreover, it can cause blood poisoning, deafness, brain injury, meningitis, or death if not properly treated.
- Presbycusis. Although many people experience age-related hearing loss—medically known as presbycusis —it’s not inevitable, and everyone does not experience it. Most often, presbycusis involves degenerative changes to the inner ear. Typically, people who experience presbycusis don’t notice it until the significant loss has occurred because it tends to come on gradually and typically involves a hearing loss in both ears equally.
- Cholesteatoma. This ear disease is not the usual skin growth, which can develop in the middle section of the ear and behind the eardrum. It may be by birth, but persistent middle ear infections mostly cause it. A cholesteatoma basically develops a sac-like pocket of membranous tissue (cyst) that shades old skin layers, wherein these dead skin cells huddle, which increases in size, destroying the delicate bones of the middle ear.
- Earache. In pathology terms, it is also called Otalgia. In fact, the individuals affected by this travel by air, especially when having a cold or stuffy nose. Moreover, the air pressure in the middle ear does not equalize during the flight’s take-off and landing, since it would if the Eustachian tube were unblocked.
- Ototoxicity. This is a drug/chemical-related damage to the inner ear or damage in the organs responsible for hearing and balance. Moreover, this damage can lead to temporary or permanent hearing loss.
- Otosclerosis. It is an extra growth of bone in the ears, leading to hearing loss. The condition involves a problem with the bone in the middle ear, which is significantly more the shape. To restore the healing, a surgical operation is needed.
- Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (RHS). This is a rare neurological disorder marking a rash that affects the ear and paralysis of the facial nerve. Ear oddities such as tinnitus or ringing in the ear. Hearing loss may also be possible.
The Bottom Line
More people of all ages now suffer from hearing loss, chronic infections, and ear noise. That said, it is crucial to treat such common ear diseases quickly and ensure the ears are checked regularly by an ENT specialist. The Cache Valley Ear, Nose & Throat team diagnoses and treats a comprehensive range of ear-related issues to help patients live the life they deserve.
