Ear

Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is the loss of hearing in one or both ears, ranging from mild to profound. There are many causes, and it can affect anyone at any age, but it’s most common among people of old age, also called as ‘Presbyacusis’. This is due to weakening of the hearing nerve. This condition may also present with ringing sensation in the ear, called as ‘Tinnitus’. This can be treated by using hearing aids.
Hearing Loss can also be associated with many disesases. The most common ear diseases out of which are as follows :
  1. CSOM- Long standing ear perforations can lead to ear ossicles/bones erosion or lead to toxins reaching to cochlea through open middle ear cavity. Such patients can undergo ear surgery for repair of drums and ear bones with substantial benefit.
  2. Otosclerosis – In this disease, 1 of the 3 ear bones, Stapes bone becomes fixed and leads to decreased hearing. This condition usually aggravates in pregnancy and may lead to significant hearing loss. It can be corrected with surgery, resulting in good hearing.

Ear Discharge/Bleeding/Perforation

A ruptured eardrum (tympanic membrane perforation) is a hole or tear in the thin tissue that separates your ear canal from your middle ear (eardrum).
A ruptured eardrum can result in hearing loss. It can also make your middle ear vulnerable to infections, leading to pus discharge and occasional bleeding when this is associated with bone necrosis.

Ear Pain

There are many causes of ear pain also called as ‘Otalgia’. Broadly it can be sub-classified into following three heads.

  1. Causes of External Ear(Ear Pinna/ External Ear Canal)
    1. Ruptured Ear drum
    2. Trauma
    3. Build up of Ear Wax
    4. Infections – Furunculosis, Fungal Infection (Otomycosis) etc.
  2. Middle Ear Causes
    1. Acute Otitis Media
    2. Allergic otitis
    3. Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media
  3. Causes of referred pain
    1. Tooth pain
    2. Neck Disease
    3. Tongue problems
    4. Temporo-Mandibular Joint Problems
    5. Nose and Nasopharynx Causes
This is to understand that there can be a number of reasons for this symptom. Ear Pain should not be ignored at any time as it can represent the tip of iceberg to diagnose other conditions.
Please Consult an ENT specialist to diagnose it and give you appropriate treatment.

Ear Lobe Repair

The split ear lobe is usually a result of gradual splitting of the ear lobe/lobule by ear rings. This is more frequent when heavy jewellery is worn over a period of time. It can be a partial split or even a complete tear of the lobe. Sometimes it is due to acute injury/pull on the pendant earring by small children.
Treatment
This can be repaired / reconstructed as a day care procedure. It is recommended to close it completely so as to give strength to the repaired site and fresh ear piercing to be done at a later stage.