The 3 most common types of ear disorders & bull; hello healthy

The ear is the five senses that are prone to health problems due to the ease with which the ear is exposed to various external disturbances. The nerves that are present in the ear can also experience health problems if not properly cared for or treated as soon as possible.

What are the common types of ear diseases?

There are many types of ear diseases with various causes. The following are some examples of common ear diseases:

1. Otitis externa

External otitis or also known as swimmer's ear is an infection that occurs in the outer ear canal, which spreads from the eardrum to the outer ear. This ear disease usually causes inflammation, swelling, and redness of the outer ear canal.

The cause of this ear disease is usually a bacterial infection. However, irritation, mold, and allergies may also cause otitis externa.

Symptoms caused by this ear disorder are:

• Ear pain which usually tends to be severe
• Itching sensation in the ear canal
• Discharge (either clear or in the form of pus) from the ear
• The outer part of the ear and ear canal looks red and swollen
• The skin around the ear canal is dry, scaly, and can peel off
• In more severe cases it can cause hearing loss
• Usually only one ear is infected

2. Otitis media

Otitis media is an infection of the middle ear caused by bacteria or viruses. This middle section is an air-filled space located behind the eardrum. This section also has small bones that vibrate when it receives sound.

This ear disease tends to occur more in children than adults. In children, symptoms include earaches, fussiness, and fever. Meanwhile, in adults, otitis media causes symptoms in the form of earache, discharge from the ear, and difficulty hearing.

3. Internal otitis

Internal otitis or also known as labyrinthitis is an infection that occurs in the inner ear, to be precise in the membrane labyrinth. This ear disease is caused by viruses, bacteria, or other diseases.

Internal otitis is an advanced form or complication of untreated otitis media. Symptoms that can arise from internal otitis can include:

• Vertigo
• Nausea
• Gag
• Tinnitus
• Hearing impairment or loss

4. Mastoiditis

Mastoiditis is a serious bacterial infection that attacks the mastoid bone, which is located behind the ear. This ear disease is more common in children than adults.

Mastoiditis can appear if the mastoid cells become infected or inflamed. Often, this condition occurs after a middle ear infection or otitis media that doesn't go away.

Symptoms that can result from mastoiditis are:

• The back of the ear is painful, red, and swollen
• There is discharge from the ear
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Hearing loss in the infected ear

5. The eardrum burst

A ruptured eardrum or what is also called a tympanic membrane perforation is a hole or tear in the thin tissue that separates the ear canal from the middle ear (eardrum). This condition can cause hearing loss and make your ears more susceptible to infection.

Symptoms of a ruptured eardrum include:

• Earache
• Discharge like mucus
• Hearing loss
• Tinnitus
• Vertigo
• Nausea and vomiting due to vertigo

6. Meniere's disease

Meniere's disease is a disorder of the inner ear that can cause vertigo and hearing loss. In most cases, this disease affects only one ear.

Meniere's disease is considered a chronic disease, that is, it develops slowly over a long period of time. The following are symptoms that can arise due to Meneire's disease:

• Have repeated vertigo
• Loss of hearing ability
• Tinnitus
• Ears feel full

7. Barotrauma

Barotrauma refers to an injury caused by an increase in air or water pressure, such as during an airplane flight or scuba diving. Barotrauma can occur when you are on an airplane descending for landing or when you are diving into deep water.

This change in pressure can create a vacuum in the middle ear that pulls the eardrum in. This can cause pain and muffle sounds. In this condition, your ears will feel tight.

8. Cholesteatoma

Cholesteatoma is an abnormal growth of skin on the middle ear behind the eardrum. This condition can be congenital (present from birth) or a complication of a chronic ear infection.

Cholesteatoma usually occurs due to poor function of the eustachian tubes, coupled with an infection in the middle ear. Symptoms that usually appear include:

• Full feeling or pressure in the ear
• Loss of hearing ability
• Dizzy
• Numbness or muscle weakness on one side of the face

9. Otosclerosis

Otosclerosis is a hardening of the bones in the ear, so that the ear cannot function properly. In this condition, the hearing process becomes obstructed because the movement of sound from the middle ear to the inner ear is disturbed.

Otosclerosis occurs when one of the bones in the middle ear, namely the stapes, gets stuck in place. It is not clear why this happens, but experts believe it is linked to measles infection, stress fractures or immune disorders.

10. Clogged ears

Ear congestion is when your ears feel full, like something blocked. This condition can be caused by a variety of things, including buildup of earwax (wax) to colds or allergies.

Ear congestion due to accumulation of dirt is also known as wax prop or impaction of wax. This ear disorder is usually caused by the habit of picking your ears using cotton buds.

Colds or allergies can cause the lining of the eustachian tube (the part of the ear that functions to equalize air pressure on both sides of the ear) to swell. This condition can cause a sensation like something is clogging your ears, such as when you are on an up and down plane.

11. Watery ears

Ear discharge is generally a condition not to worry about. Usually, the only fluid or solid that comes out of your ear is earwax. However, this condition can also be a sign of disease or injury to your ear.

Sometimes, sticky fluid builds up in the middle ear, behind the eardrum. This mucus can cause ear infections and hearing loss. This condition is more common in children than adults.

12. Ears buzzing

Ringing in the ears or tinnitus is a condition when you feel like you have a buzzing sound in your ears. Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, tinnitus is not an ear disease, but a symptom of a condition, such as hearing loss or ear injury.

The sound as if you are listening may take the form of a low roar to a high scream and you may hear it in one or both ears. Tinnitus may be present at any time, or it may come and go.

13. Itchy ears

Itchy ears are a common problem. In some people, this problem is so annoying that there is a desire to stick various objects to the ear. These bad habits can cause trauma to the ear canal.

Common causes of itchy ears are habitual, yeast infection, or the onset of an infection. Other causes can be skin diseases, such as psoriasis or dermatitis. Allergies can also cause itchy ears.

14. Ear bleeding

Bleeding ear is a condition when there is blood in your ear or it comes out of your sense of hearing. This is a symptom of various ear injuries and conditions.

There are many possible causes of ear bleeding, such as:

• Minor injury
• The eardrum burst
• Trauma
• Severe ear infection
• The ear has a foreign body in it
• Ear cancer

Depending on the cause, you may also experience additional symptoms, such as earache, fever, hearing loss, facial paralysis, dizziness, and ringing in the ears.

How to treat ear disease?

Source: Sohu

The ear ailments that have been mentioned above may be easily treated if you get a diagnosis as early as possible. Therefore, it is recommended that you immediately see an ear nose throat (ENT) doctor if you experience the symptoms of each of the diseases above.

After the doctor determines a diagnosis of ear disease for you, the doctor can provide recommendations for treatment to solve your problem. The following may be recommended treatment options:

• Medicines to treat earaches, especially antibiotics to treat various ear infections.
• Wax therapy to remove accumulated earwax.
• Ear surgery may be recommended when the antibiotics prescribed by your doctor do not treat your ear disease.
• Hearing aids to help your hearing sense which is impaired due to ear disease.