Medical Questions & Answers » Ears

Causes Of Earache

medicalquestions — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:40:59 +0000

What are the causes of earache?

There are hundreds of causes. The most common is infection of either the ear canal (eg. swimmers ear), or die middle ear. These can develop very rapidly, and one of the most common causes for a 2 am call in general practice is the rapidly developing car pain from an infection.

Infections of the sinuses may also cause ear pain, as may a blockage with phlegm of the fine tube that leads from the middle ear to the back of the nose.

If you fly or climb a mountain with this eustachian tube blocked, the air in the middle ear will be at a different ptessure to that outside, the ear drum will become distorted by this difference in pressure, and pain will result. A common cold may be all that is necessary to cause this blockage.

The bones around the ear may sometimes become infected and cause earache, and the jaw joint which is just in front of the ear will cause ear pain if it becomes inflamed or injured. Impacted ear wax is another common cause of ear pain.

Dental disease can cause ear pain, and vice versa. Dentists often refer patients to a doctor for treatment of their ear or sinus condition after they have initially seen the dentist for toothache. The list goes on and on, so anyone with an eatache will need assessment and treatment by a doctot (or dentist!).

Ringing Ears – A disorder or a side effect of medications

medicalquestions — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:00:44 +0000

I’ve noticed lately that I’ve developed ringing in my ears. Could this be a side effect of one of my medications?
1. You have not listed the medicines that you are taking.
2. The condition that you are suffering from is Tinnitus, which can be due to a number of causes like hypertension; diabetes, pain killers like aspirin, ibuprofen, antibiotics especially amino glycosides like gentamycin, amikacin, etc, and antimalarial medications; local ear infections like otitis media.
3. To identify the cause you need to consult an ENT doctor. Get a thorough examination of not only your ears, nose and throat but also test for diabetes and High Blood Pressure. And a hearing test that includes an impedance audiogram to record the pressure of your middle ear.
Turning Yellow

I am a 26-year-old man working in the public sector. My teeth have been yellow in color since childhood. I have tried different toothpastes to no avail. Kindly suggest a way by which I can get a whiter set of 32.
Yellow or stained teeth from childhood are usually the result of using over chlorinated water or taking antibiotics like tetracycline in the early years. Regular toothpastes will not lighten your teeth, and the effect of whitening toothpastes is barely perceptible even on coffee stains. Get a professional whitening treatment at a dentist’s, which will last longer and offer better results.

My voice is heavy and not very clear. So whenever I speak with my friends, they can’t understand me and when I want to speak very quickly, my voice cracks up and my friends make fun on me. Please tell me what I have to do so that my voice becomes light and I can speak like a normal student and quickly?
You seem to be having multiple problems, if your voice is heavy, you need to be seen by a voice consultant who will do a voice analysis and get to the root of the problem. You also mention that your words are not clear to others, which indicates a pronunciation or diction problem, which can be treated only in consultation with a speech therapist. But don’t worry. Both these problems are curable.

Relief from Hear Ache

medicalquestions — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:25:48 +0000

My mother has developed a very serious problem of reduced hearing in her left ear. And perhaps due to the absence of external noises, she has started hearing internal ones. The source of the noise is in the left ear and left side of the brain and it is so loud, that she finds it unbearable. It has been 3 years since her menopause. She has no other health conditions other than mild high blood pressure. This problem is a recent development and all the allopathy doctors including an ENT specialist we consulted say that there is no treatment.
It appears your mother is suffering from “Tinnitus” or “head noise” as it is called. The causes of this are many, and to identify them several tests may be needed. These include
(1) Hemoglobin, CBC, Fasting Blood sugar, BUN, Serum Creatinine and thyoid function
(2) Pure tone audiogram with speech audiometry.
(3) Impedance audiometry
(4) Brainstem evoked response audiometry
(5) MR I of the head and brain,
The results of these should be evaluated by a competent ENT surgeon who will also give your mother a thorough physical examination. Her blood pressure should be evaluated properly, as high BP is implicated in this condition. She may need to lose weight, exercise, and go on a special diet to control the hypertension. Should no obvious cause be found then she may be given medications like
(1) Tablet Bilovas(German Remedies) three times a day for a minimum of three months.
(2) Capsule Vitamin B complex with Zinc in it to be taken twice a day for three months,
(3) Capsule Vitamin E(200mg) twice a day for three months.
(4) An antidepressant may be prescribed by your family doctor if it’s affecting her moods severely.
She should also avoid painkillers, certain antibiotics belonging to the aminoglycoside family, and steer clear of loud sounds. Quite often people do respond favorably to treatment and the noise(tinnitus) subsides. The good news is that since the problem is a recent one she should experience relief.

Hearing Ailment

medicalquestions — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:00:04 +0000

The impact of loud music dulls hearing for a few seconds, repeated or prolonged exposure to blaring music can reduce hearing power permanently. Surveys reveal less sensitivity to high-frequency sounds in practicing rock musicians, disco-veterans, rock concert fans and those who regularly listened to their Walk-mans at full volume. Any sound is safe for the ears upto a limit of 85 decibels. Typically, loud music clocks in at 100-120 decibels. In the average Walkman-type player, a volume setting 4 or 5 ranges between 93 and 108 decibels. Turn it up to setting 8, and the sound level hits 115 decibels or more. Whether it is a discotheque or an aerobics class, if the music drowns normal conversation, it is not safe for your ears. Researchers recommend a top limit of 100 decibels.
Digital hearing aids
Prisma digital hearing aids which are available as mini-BTE (behind the ear), ITE (in the ear), ITC (in the canal) and CIC (completely in the canal). Prisma offers a combination of digital signal processing (DSP) and twin mic system (TMS). The DSP allows digitisation of the incoming signal for quick analysis of the acoustic signal, which filters out noise and adds clarity to speech signals, while the TMS, advanced multi-directional microphones, allows the user to understand conversations even in noisy environments.

Meniere disease of ear’s

medicalquestions — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:14:52 +0000

Question: It is of very great import to me doctor that you reply, because I’ve been suffering from noises in my ears for twelve years. I’m also going deaf. I’ve been to specialists and they say there is nothing to be done. Please can you help me?
I believe that you are suffering from Meniere’s disease. Meniere was a physician in Paris in the early part of the nineteenth century who described a syndrome that consisted of dizziness, deafness and a constant noise in the ears. The exact cause is not known, but there is usually a build-up in the pressure of the fluid inside the hearing and balance mechanisms of the inner ear.
The most distressing symptom is the constant noise (tinnitus is the technical term) in the ear. This is usually a high-pitched ringing, but may be a dull roar in some people. Unfortunately, treatment is not very satisfactory, and new drugs and devices are constantly being tried to give relief. Among the drugs, Sere, Adalat and Minipress (all are available on prescription only), act to increase the blood supply to the inner ear, and have been successful in some people. Other drugs tried with varying success are various anti-histamines, diuretics, rochlorperazine, amitripryline and chlorpromazine (most are on prescription).
None of these have more than a 50-50 chance of success, but may be tried to see if they give relief. If medication*is successful in controlling the nausea and dizziness, but not the noises, a tinnitus masker may be beneficial. This is a hearing-aid type of device that is worn in the ear and emits a constant tone that counteracts the noise already heard in the ear. It may take some experimentation to find the right one for each patient, but with persistence, many can be helped. There are also micro surgical techniques to help the sufferers of Meniere’s disease.
Those who do suffer should not despair, but keep trying the various methods of treatment that are available, in the hope that one will suit them.

Heavy hearing loss

medicalquestions — Thu, 15 May 2008 06:00:54 +0000

Question: Recently I had grommets placed in my ears. While the drainage system seems to work, I still suffer a heavy hearing loss, despite Sudafed and ear drops. Is there any solution?
Grommets are tiny tubes that are placed through the ear drum to allow air to pass from the outer ear to the middle ear. The middle ear is connected by the Eustachian tube through the center of the head to the back of the nose. This allows the air pressure in the middle ear to equalize with that in the outside air (popping of the ears) when you change altitude by going up or down a hill or in an aircraft.
If the Eustachian tube becomes blocked by phlegm from the nose, pressure can build up in the middle ear to cause discomfort, or with altitude changes, the phlegm may be forced up the Eustachian tube and into the middle ear where it settles as a thick substance known as ‘glue’ (thus a ‘glue ear’). The glue reduces the vibrations of the eardrum and the tiny bones that transmit sounds across the middle ear to the hearing mechanism in the inner ear, causing varying degrees of deafness.
A grommet is inserted through the eardrum to allow air into the middle ear and the increased air pressure will very gradually push the glue back down the Eustachian tube to the nose, eventually clearing the ear. The grommet will be expelled naturally from the ear drum as it heals after a few months. Not until the grommet is expelled will hearing return to normal. Sudafed reduces the amount of new phlegm being produced in the nose, while ear drops can do many tasks, depending on the type of drop, but many ear drops should be avoided while grommets are in place.
If you are continuing to have problems you should see your GP so that the amount of glue in the middle ear and the position of the grommet can be assessed, and the need for ear drops and further Sudafed determined.

Ringing ears

medicalquestions — Thu, 15 May 2008 06:00:17 +0000

Question: My ears are ringing all the time, and when I get nervous or tense they get worse. How can I help this?
Noises in the ears are a common curse that becomes more common the older you are. Many patients are plagued with such noises to the extent that they are unable to lead a normal lifestyle. The first step in treatment is to be thoroughly examined by your doctor to exclude any disease such as high blood pressure, wax in the ears, or an overactive thyroid gland, which may be responsible for the noise. You should also avoid possible aggravating causes such as coffee, tea and cola drinks.
After this, it is often wise to seek a referral to an ear, nose and throat specialist, or a general physician, for more detailed investigations. Unfortunately, in all too many victims of tinnitus (the technical name for ringing in the ears), no cause can be found, and the next step is to experiment with the many different medications that may relieve your problem. This is very much a matter of trial and error, that must be carried out with the cooperation of your GP, as most of these medications require a prescription, and some may have side effects. None has a better than 30% success rate, but they should be tried in turn to see if any help.
Finally, it is possible to use a hearing-aid type device called a tinnitus masker that produces a constant tone to drown out the noises you hear, or have an operation to deafen the involved ear. When tinnitus is combined with dizziness and deafness, the condition is called Meniere’s disease.

Treatment of Ear infection

medicalquestions — Wed, 14 May 2008 06:00:57 +0000

Question: I keep getting ear infections, and I’m sick of running to the doctor. Can I treat an ear infection myself?
NO! Once you have an ear infection it is important to obtain medical attention as soon as possible. This is because untreated infections can spread throughout the ear and cause a more serious infections in surrounding tissue.
Treatment of an outer ear infection involves cleaning the ear of any wax or debris (don’t try to do this yourself either) that may be present in the canal, so that the ear can dry out. Antibiotic drops or ointment are then prescribed. In difficult cases, a wick (piece of light material) soaked in an ointment may be put in the ear, and antibiotic tablets may be given.
Middle ear infections always require antibiotic tablets, and constant medical supervision to ensure that the infection has cleared and no damage has been done to the ear. It is important that anyone with recurrent infections is treated adequately, because each infection can injure the ear and eventually cause permanent damage.

Question: I have had vestibular neuronitis ror 17 months, which causes dizziness that comes for a few weeks and then goes again. What causes the dizziness to come and go?
Vestibular neuronitis is an inflammation of the balance mechanism in the inner ear. It often follows a viral infection or fever, and causes sudden, intermittent attacks of dizziness. Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment, but a number of medications can be tried to reduce the severity of the dizziness when it occurs. Most cases settle spontaneously with time, and the younger you are, the sooner you can expect the problem to disappear. Only rarely is it permanent.
I cannot specifically explain why the attacks come and go, but the recurrence of an attack may be associated with a period when you are overtired, run down, or suffering from a minor viral illness.

Ear infections in children

medicalquestions — Wed, 14 May 2008 06:00:33 +0000

Question: What causes ear infections in children every summer ?
Summer is the time of year when children seem to live in swimming pools, and often seem to spend more time under the water than on the surface. The most significant medical problem associated with this phenomenon is otitis externa, or swimmer’s ear. With this disease, the outer ear canal and the outer surface of the ear drum become infected and very painful. It may occur under many circumstances, but by far the most common is retained water in the ear canal.
Bacteria normally live in the outer ear, but if the canal remains constantly wet, the type of bacteria can change from the good ones that are meant to be there, to a type that can cause tissue damage and infection. Water of any type can start this infection, but sea water is less likely to be a problem. Hot spa baths (particularly public ones) and swimming pools are the worst causes.
Private facilities are less likely to cause problems than public ones, not because the public pools and saunas are poorly cared for, but because far more people use them and introduce more bacteria. Warm water is also a greater problem than cold. Another common cause of outer ear infections is wax. Excess wax will aid the retention of water in the ear, and itself can cause infections under hot and sweaty conditions.
Middle ear infections may also be responsible for the sudden onset of severe ear pain in children. These are more serious than outer ear infections, and often occur at the same time as a cold or runny nose due to blockage of the tube that drains from the middle ear to the back of the nose (the Eustachian tube). Medical attention is essential for these infections, because if left untreated permanent damage to the ear may occur.

Causes of Earache

medicalquestions — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:00:15 +0000

Question: What are the causes of earache?
There are hundreds of causes. The most common is infection of either the ear canal (eg. swimmer’s ear), or the middle ear. These can develop very rapidly, and one of the most common causes for a 2 am call in general practice is the rapidly developing ear pain from an infection.
Infections of the sinuses may also cause ear pain, as may a blockage with phlegm of the fine tube that leads from the middle ear to the back of the nose. If you fly or climb a mountain with this eustachian tube blocked, the air in the middle ear will be at a different pressure to that outside, the ear drum will become distorted by this difference in pressure, and pain will result. A common cold may be all that is necessary to cause this blockage.
The bones around the ear may sometimes become infected and cause earache, and the jaw joint which is just in front of the ear will cause ear pain if it becomes inflamed or injured. Impacted ear wax is another common cause of ear pain. Dental disease can cause ear pain, and vice versa. Dentists often refer patients to a doctor for treatment of their ear or sinus condition after they have initially seen the dentist for toothache. The list goes on and on, so anyone with an earache will need assessment and treatment by a doctor (or dentist!).