Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Conductive Hearing Loss
Number of Conditions: 3
Otosclerosis
Specialty: Ear
Category: Hearing Disorders
Sub-category: Conductive Hearing Loss
Symptoms:
gradual hearing loss; tinnitus (ringing in the ears); dizziness; difficulty hearing low-pitched sounds; progressive worsening of hearing in one or both ears
Root Cause:
Abnormal bone remodeling in the middle ear, particularly around the stapes bone, leading to fixation of the stapes and impaired sound conduction.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
audiometry testing; tympanometry; CT scan of the temporal bones; clinical examination by an ENT specialist
Treatment:
Surgery (stapedectomy or stapedotomy), hearing aids, or observation for mild cases.
Medications:
Sodium fluoride or bisphosphonates may be prescribed to slow bone remodeling, though evidence of their efficacy is limited.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 0.3-0.4% of the population; more common in women and individuals of Caucasian descent.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history, female gender, pregnancy, and genetic predisposition.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Hearing can be significantly improved with surgery or hearing aids; untreated cases may lead to severe hearing loss.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
persistent hearing loss; vertigo; tinnitus; possible surgical complications such as damage to the facial nerve or further hearing loss
Tympanic Membrane Perforation (Eardrum Rupture)
Specialty: Ear
Category: Hearing Disorders
Sub-category: Conductive Hearing Loss
Symptoms:
sudden sharp ear pain; hearing loss; drainage from the ear (clear or bloody); tinnitus; vertigo
Root Cause:
A tear or hole in the eardrum caused by trauma, infection, or pressure changes.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
otoscopic examination; audiometry testing; tympanometry
Treatment:
Observation for spontaneous healing, antibiotic ear drops for infection, tympanoplasty (surgical repair) if the perforation does not heal.
Medications:
Antibiotic ear drops like ofloxacin or ciprofloxacin to prevent or treat infection.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common; occurs in approximately 1% of the population annually.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Ear infections, barotrauma, loud noise exposure, insertion of foreign objects, head trauma.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Most cases heal within a few weeks without intervention; surgery may be required for persistent perforations.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
chronic ear infections; hearing loss; cholesteatoma (abnormal skin growth in the middle ear); persistent drainage
Ossicular Chain Dysfunction (e.g., Dislocation or Fixation)
Specialty: Ear
Category: Hearing Disorders
Sub-category: Conductive Hearing Loss
Symptoms:
hearing loss; tinnitus; dizziness in some cases
Root Cause:
Disruption or fixation of the ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes) in the middle ear, impairing sound transmission to the inner ear.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
otoscopic examination; CT scan of the temporal bones; audiometry testing; tympanometry
Treatment:
Surgical repair (ossiculoplasty) or replacement of the ossicles; hearing aids for non-surgical candidates.
Medications:
Not directly treated with medications, but antibiotics may be prescribed if caused by infection.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; most cases result from trauma, chronic infections, or congenital conditions.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Head trauma, chronic otitis media, congenital abnormalities, surgical complications.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Surgical intervention often restores hearing; untreated cases may lead to persistent hearing loss.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
persistent hearing loss; chronic infections; further ossicular damage