Ear

Glue ear (otitis media with effusion) occurs when thick fluid collects in the middle ear instead of air.

This condition is common in children and may lead to hearing difficulties and delayed speech development. Treatment options include observation, hearing support, or grommet insertion.

Earache may be caused by infection, inflammation, fluid build-up, or referred pain from the throat or jaw.

Proper examination is essential to determine the underlying cause and provide appropriate treatment.

Tinnitus is the perception of ringing, buzzing, or humming without an external sound source.

It may be associated with hearing loss, noise exposure, or inner ear disorders. Specialist evaluation helps guide management options.

Hearing loss can develop gradually or suddenly and may result from infection, ageing, noise exposure, or structural ear problems.

Comprehensive hearing assessment determines the best course of treatment.

Dizziness and vertigo often originate from the inner ear.

Conditions such as BPPV, labyrinthitis, or Ménière’s disease may require targeted treatment and specialist care.

A balance disorder is a condition that leaves a person feeling unsteady or dizzy. If standing, sitting, or lying down, it might feel as if you are moving, spinning, or floating. If you are walking, you might suddenly feel as if you are tipping over. Balance disorders can be caused by certain health conditions, medications, or a problem in the inner ear or the brain. A balance disorder can profoundly impact daily activities and cause psychological and emotional hardship.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)is one of the most common causes of vertigo; the sudden sensation of spinning. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is characterized by brief episodes of mild to intense dizziness. Symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo are triggered by specific changes in the position of the head, such as tipping the head up or down, and by lying down, turning over or sitting up in bed. Standing or walking may also feel unbalanced.

BPPV is often associated with a minor to severe blow to the head. Less common causes of BPPV include disorders that damage the inner ear or, rarely, damage that occurs during ear surgery. BPPV also has been associated with migraines. Treatment includes the Epley manoeuvre which involves performing four separate head movements to move the fragments that cause vertigo to a place where they no longer cause symptoms. Each head position is held for at least 30 seconds. A person may experience some vertigo during the movements. Symptoms should improve shortly after the Epley manoeuvre is performed, although it may take up to two weeks for a complete recovery.

Children in particular can often suffer with recurring ear infections.ear infections. See Otitis externa, Otitis media and Acute otitis media for more information.

Otitis externa is a condition that causes inflammation (redness and swelling) of the external ear canal, which is the tube between the outer ear and eardrum. Symptoms of otitis externa include; ear pain, which can be severe, itchiness in the ear canal, a discharge of liquid or pus from the ear and some degree of temporary hearing loss.

Usually only one ear is affected and although complications associated with otitis externa are uncommon, there is a small risk of further problems developing such as abscesses, narrowing of the ear canal inflamed or perforated eardrum or cellulitis. In some cases, otitis externa can spread to the outer ear and surrounding tissue, including the bones of the jaw and face. This infection is known as malignant otitis externa.

Otitis media is an infection of the middle ear that is particularly common in young children. Although anyone can develop a middle ear infection, the majority of cases occur in children under 10. Infants between 6 and 15 months old are most commonly affected. It’s estimated that around one in every four children will have had at least one middle ear infection by the time they are 10 years old. Very young children are still at risk of developing complications because their immune systems are still developing. Some of the main complications associated with middle ear infections are; Mastoiditis, Cholesteatoma and Labyrinthitis.

Acute or Chronic otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear in which there is fluid in accompanied by signs or symptoms of ear infection such as a bulging eardrum usually accompanied by pain or a perforated eardrum, often with drainage of purulent material (pus). A perforated eardrum is a hole or tear in the eardrum. It can be uncomfortable, but usually heals within a few weeks or months provided the ear is kept dry and there’s no infection.

The eardrum, also known as the tympanic membrane, is a thin layer of tissue that separates the outer ear from the middle ear. A hole in the eardrum can be caused by: a middle ear infection, if pus builds up inside your ear and puts pressure on your eardrum, an injury to the eardrum, such as a severe blow to the ear or poking an object such as a cotton bud deep into the ear, a sudden loud noise, such as a loud explosion changes in air pressure, such as pressure changes while flying at high altitude or when scuba diving. The procedure used to repair a perforated eardrum is known as a myringoplasty.

Eardrum perforations occur where there is a hole or tear in the eardrum. It can be uncomfortable, but usually heals within a few weeks or months provided the ear is kept dry and there is no infection. The eardrum, also known as the tympanic membrane, is a thin layer of tissue that separates the outer ear from the middle ear. A hole in the eardrum can be caused by; a middle ear infection or if pus builds up inside the ear and puts pressure on the eardrum. The procedure sometimes used to repair a perforated eardrum is known as a myringoplasty.

An acoustic neuroma is a benign (non-cancerous) growth, or tumour, in the brain. It’s also known as a vestibular schwannoma and the most common tumour of the Cerebellopontine angle. An acoustic neuroma grows on the vestibulocochlear nerve, which helps control hearing and balance. This nerve runs alongside the facial nerve, which carries information from the brain to the face muscles. Acoustic neuromas may grow about 1-2mm every year. However, there could be long periods when the tumour doesn’t grow at all. There are several different treatment options for an acoustic neuroma depending on age, overall health, and the size and position of the tumour..

An Meningioma is a tumour that arises from the meninges, the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Most meningiomas are noncancerous (benign), though rarely a meningioma may be cancerous (malignant). Some meningiomas are classified as atypical, meaning they’re neither benign nor malignant but, rather, something in between. Most people with a meningioma will have a tumour at only one site, but it also is possible to have several tumours growing simultaneously in different parts of the brain and spinal cord. When multiple meningiomas occur, more than one type of treatment may be necessary.

A cholesteatoma is an uncommon abnormal collection of skin cells inside the ear. Left untreated, it can continue to grow and damage the delicate structures deep inside the ear, such as the tiny bones and organs essential for hearing and balance.

A cholesteatoma can lead to; an ear infection, causing discharge from the ear, hearing loss, which can be permanent, vertigo, tinnitus or damage to the facial nerve, causing weakness in half of the face. In very rare cases, an infection can spread into the inner ear and brain, leading to a brain abscess or meningitis. Usually only one ear is affected by a cholesteatoma. The two most common symptoms are; persistent, often smelly, discharge from the affected ear and gradual loss of hearing in the affected ear.

Preauricular pits or sinuses are present in front of the ear. They are small skin lined tracks that lead from the skin surface, to deep within the tissues in front of the ear. Their track course can go into the cartilage or end in the skin tissue. A preauricular sinus or preauricular pit occurs as a result of faulty fusion in the development of the ear while the child is in the womb, a congenital condition present from birth. The presence of a preauricular sinus may be associated with other abnormalities of the outer ear and it is not possible for the preauricular sinus or pit to close by itself.

Labyrinthitis is an inner ear infection. It causes a delicate structure deep inside the ear called the labyrinth to become inflamed, affecting hearing and balance. The most common symptoms are dizziness, hearing loss (from mild to total loss of hearing) and vertigo. Around half of all cases of viral labyrinthitis are thought to be caused when a viral infection of the chest, nose, mouth and airways, such as the common cold or flu.

Vestibular neuritis (sometimes called vestibular neuronitis) means inflammation of the vestibular nerve. This is the nerve that comes from the inner ear and takes messages from the semicircular canals to the brain. The causes and symptoms of labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis are similar. The main symptom is vertigo. Vestibular neuritis affects both adults and children but has a peak age of onset of 40 to 50 years.

Ménière’s disease is a rare disorder that affects the inner ear. It can cause vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of pressure deep inside the ear. People with Ménière’s disease usually experience some or all of these symptoms during sudden attacks, which typically last around two to three hours, although it can take a day or two for the symptoms to disappear completely.

Although the exact cause of Ménière’s disease is unknown, the following factors may increase the risk of developing the condition: autoimmunity; when the immune system attacks its own tissues and organs by mistake, genetic (inherited) factors; for example, a family history of the condition, a chemical imbalance in the fluid in the inner ear; as a result of too little or too much sodium or potassium in the body, a problem with the blood vessels; there’s a link between Ménière’s disease and migraines, which are thought to be caused by the narrowing and widening of blood vessels and some viral infections, such as meningitis.