Condition Lookup
Category:
Structural and Functional Ear Disorders
Number of Conditions: 2
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
Specialty: Ear
Category: Structural and Functional Ear Disorders
Sub-category: Eustachian Tube Conditions
Symptoms:
ear fullness; muffled hearing; popping or clicking sounds in the ear; mild ear pain; difficulty equalizing pressure (e.g., during flights or diving); tinnitus; dizziness in severe cases
Root Cause:
Dysfunction in the opening and closing of the Eustachian tube, leading to improper ventilation and pressure regulation in the middle ear. Causes can include inflammation, allergies, or anatomical abnormalities.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Patient history, otoscopic examination, tympanometry, and audiometry. Nasopharyngoscopy may be used to assess the Eustachian tube opening.
Treatment:
Address underlying causes (e.g., allergy treatment, nasal decongestants), autoinflation techniques, and surgery (e.g., balloon dilation) in refractory cases.
Medications:
Nasal corticosteroids (e.g., fluticasone ) to reduce inflammation, oral antihistamines (e.g., loratadine ) for allergies, and decongestants (e.g., pseudoephedrine ) for short-term symptom relief.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common, affecting both children and adults; prevalence increases in individuals with allergies or upper respiratory infections.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Upper respiratory infections, allergies, sinusitis, smoking, obesity, and anatomical abnormalities such as cleft palate.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Most cases resolve with treatment of underlying causes. Chronic or severe dysfunction may require surgical intervention.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic otitis media, tympanic membrane perforation, and conductive hearing loss.
Tympanosclerosis (Scarring of the Tympanic Membrane)
Specialty: Ear
Category: Structural and Functional Ear Disorders
Sub-category: Tympanic Membrane Conditions
Symptoms:
conductive hearing loss; visible white patches on the tympanic membrane; recurrent ear infections; no significant pain or discomfort in most cases
Root Cause:
Calcification or fibrosis of the tympanic membrane and middle ear structures, often as a result of chronic otitis media or repeated trauma (e.g., ear surgeries, frequent infections).
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Otoscopic examination to identify white, chalky patches on the tympanic membrane and audiometry to assess hearing loss.
Treatment:
Generally no treatment is needed unless hearing loss is significant; hearing aids or surgical correction (e.g., tympanoplasty) may be considered.
Medications:
No direct medications for tympanosclerosis; treatment focuses on managing underlying conditions such as infections or inflammation with antibiotics (e.g., amoxicillin ) or anti-inflammatory agents (e.g., nasal steroids).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Exact prevalence is unclear; associated with chronic otitis media and past ear surgeries.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Chronic otitis media, frequent tympanic membrane perforations, ear surgeries (e.g., tympanostomy), and recurrent ear trauma.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Generally good; hearing loss can be managed with hearing aids or surgery. Progression of scarring is rare once the underlying cause is addressed.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Persistent conductive hearing loss and ossicular chain fixation in severe cases.