Our ears do more tasks than just hearing; they help maintain balance, ensuring our bodies stand upright. If you experience any issues with your ears that play a vital role in our bodies, get to a hospital immediately. Along with hearing difficulties, symptoms such as dizziness can interfere with daily life, making swift diagnosis, treatment, and prevention crucial. Let’s delve into ten ear diseases that should not be ignored.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
The ear contains the cochlea, which is responsible for hearing, and the vestibular system, which includes the semicircular canals that are responsible for balance. The vestibular system contains many tiny calcium carbonate crystals. Short and intense dizziness can occur when these crystals escape and enter the semicircular canals. If these symptoms persist, it could be Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). BPPV is characterized by brief, repetitive bouts of severe dizziness when moving the head in a certain direction, accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, headache, palpitations, and cold sweats.
Patulous Eustachian Tube (PET)
Patulous Eustachian Tube (PET) is a condition known to affect singer Lee Ji Eun (IU), and it is a disorder where the Eustachian tube, which should normally be closed, remains abnormally open. The Eustachian tube should only open when swallowing or yawning to reduce the pressure inside the eardrum. However, with PET, the tube remains open even at rest, so the air moves back and forth between the nasal cavity and the middle ear, causing the individual to hear their breathing. Since the tube stays open, the eardrum vibrates excessively, causing symptoms such as a feeling of fullness in the ear.
Meniere’s Disease
Meniere’s disease is accompanied by recurring dizziness, hearing loss, tinnitus, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Although this disease was first described in 1861 by French doctor Meniere, its pathology and physiological mechanism are not yet fully understood. Still, it is known that endolymphatic hydrops are the main pathological phenomenon, more common in women than men, and the number of patients increases after the age of 50.
Otitis Media
Otitis media refers to any inflammation occurring in the middle ear. It is classified into acute otitis media, secretory otitis media, and chronic otitis media. Acute otitis media is accompanied by acute inflammation, pain, and fever within three weeks. Chronic otitis media involves various factors working in combination. If acute otitis media and secretory otitis media are not adequately treated, it can lead to eardrum perforation or adhesion, causing eardrum deformation. Furthermore, repetitive infection through the Eustachian tube can progress to chronic otitis media.
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL)
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) typically affects only one ear, unlike noise-induced hearing loss, which affects both ears. The cause of SSHL is still unclear, but it is often diagnosed after a cold during winter and seasonal changes, suggesting a possible influence from the cold virus. Of course, there are cases of SSHL not related to colds, but these are clinically proven to be influenced by weakened immunity or severe stress.
Otitis Externa
Otitis externa, an ear canal inflammation, is typically caused by bacteria or fungi. Based on the duration and severity of the infection, this condition is classified into three types: acute, chronic, and malignant. Otitis externa is more common in the summer, often triggered by water in the ear after frequent swimming or from moisture buildup associated with prolonged earphone use.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is a common condition in modern people. It is a symptom in which a sound rings in the ears or head without any outside sound stimulus. It is divided into subjective tinnitus, which only the individual can hear or perceive, and objective tinnitus, which others can also hear. The symptoms can worsen if you focus on the sound and get stressed. Finding the cause of tinnitus and solving it quickly is essential.
Labyrinthitis
Labyrinthitis is an inflammation that occurs in the inner part of the ear when the inflammation of acute or chronic otitis media worsens or when a cholesteatoma compresses or destroys the bony labyrinth, allowing bacteria to invade and cause inflammation. When only a tiny part of the labyrinth is slowly affected by otitis media, symptoms may not appear. However, as it progresses, symptoms such as dizziness, tinnitus, vomiting, and hearing loss occur, and in severe cases, complete loss of hearing may occur.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)
Noise-induced hearing Loss (NIHL), unlike Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss mentioned earlier, is an ear disease that affects the younger generation. Initially, dismissing the symptoms as simply not hearing well is easy. However, prevention in advance is significant as it is difficult to cure once it occurs, and hearing loss becomes more severe with age.
Vestibular Neuritis
Vestibular neuritis is a condition that leads to severe dizziness due to a reduced function of the vestibular organ, which is located next to the cochlea and plays a critical role in maintaining balance. It affects about 3.5 people per 100,000 annually. The disorder is often triggered by a viral infection of the vestibular nerve or by insufficient blood supply to the nerve. Symptoms typically appear a few days to weeks after a person experiences an upper respiratory infection, like a cold. Furthermore, vestibular neuritis is more likely to occur when an individual is tired, sleep-deprived, or under stress, which can temporarily weaken the immune system.
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