Hearing is one way of perceiving the world around us. The ability to hear is often perceived as a natural human ability, and in the meantime, ear he alth can be at risk. It is important to pay attention to alarming symptoms in time and not to postpone a visit to the doctor.
Importance of hearing he alth
Determining the importance of the hearing organs for a person is simple: just think about how much information a person receives using his ears. This is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to ears.
There is another side of the issue, the correct functioning of the auditory organs allows the body to control the vestibular apparatus. Without the coordinated work of all systems, it will be impossible to maintain balance and even navigate in space.
It is believed that the ears are not organs of increased vulnerability, but at the same time they should not be left without proper control. Hearing impairment or loss can be a problem for anyone ora real tragedy.
What is ear otosclerosis?
Despite their own defense mechanisms, the ears can be subject to the development of various pathologies. It is important to carefully monitor the condition of the hearing organs, this will preserve their he alth and sharpness of perception of the surrounding world for a long time.
Otosclerosis of the ear is a disease that is characterized by the growth of bone structures in the soft tissue areas of the middle and inner ear. Medical statistics show that women are more susceptible to this pathology than the stronger sex. The disease is characterized by a long-term development. In most cases, it begins in adolescence, reaching its peak in the 30s. Cases of the disease among young children also occur, but much less frequently.
The disease of otosclerosis of the ear requires careful and competent medical intervention, which should be aimed at preserving hearing for the patient. Due to the loss of elasticity of soft tissues (especially in the cochlea of the inner ear), the full transmission of oscillatory movements to the necessary receptors stops, that is, the sound wave does not reach its goal, does not form sound sensations. This development of otosclerosis of the ear leads to a serious hearing loss up to complete deafness.
Causes of the disease
Scientists still have not come to a consensus that provokes the development of pathology in humans. Factors that affect the hearing organs continue to be studied, which will further expand knowledge about the disease. But today there is reason to believethat otosclerosis of the ear is largely a genetic disease. A similar conclusion was made on the basis of clinical observations, which showed a high percentage of heredity of this problem.
Other factors that cause hearing loss:
- Abnormalities of the auditory organs (congenital and acquired).
- Chronic pathologies of the middle ear.
- Noise overload (prolonged exposure to high noise exposure area).
- Strong emotional overload coupled with physical overstrain.
Specialists also tend to believe that sudden hormonal changes in the body (pregnancy, menopause), infectious diseases (measles), problems in the thyroid gland can provoke the disease.
Types of diseases
In medicine, it is customary to classify a disease according to several criteria. Depending on the type, structure and location of ear neoplasms, they are distinguished:
- Fenestral otosclerosis. The focus of the disease is located on the threshold of the cochlea of the inner ear. The perception of audio data is impaired.
- Cochlear otosclerosis, which directly affects the capsule of the cochlea. The ear loses the ability to fully conduct sound waves.
- Mixed type of pathology. This type disrupts not only perception, but also the conduction of sound, which leads to hearing loss in the patient.
According to the nature of the course of the disease, active and sclerotic otosclerosis of the ear are divided. Pathology rarely appears in any one form, stagecurrents alternately replace each other.
According to the rate of development, the disease is also usually divided into several stages, which are recorded in the framework of clinical observations:
- Transient illness (about 10% of known cases).
- Slow development of the disease (the most common nature of the disease, about 70% of cases).
- Mixed or intermittent flow (20% of cases).
Symptoms of disease
There are several main factors that a person should pay attention to in order to detect the development of pathology in time.
Symptoms:
- Tinnitus. Otosclerosis provokes the constant presence of noise interference, which can be perceived as wind, rustle of leaves or other natural background. It is possible to pay attention to such a symptom at a time when the quality of hearing is greatly reduced, but the noise remains.
- Bouts of dizziness accompanied by nausea and vomiting. A similar symptom does not always occur, but can exist both independently and in combination with other signs of the disease. Its manifestation is typical at the moment of making sudden movements or pitching in transport.
- Pain syndrome. The appearance of a feeling of constant pain in the area behind the auricle should alert the person. This symptom has an increasing effect, most often leads to a decrease in the quality of hearing.
- Hearing loss preceded by a feeling of permanent stuffiness in the ear. Manifested in one ear, not always spreads to the second auditory organ.
- Insomnia, apathy, decreased attention. These symptoms are the result of other manifestations of the disease.
Complications of otosclerosis
From the above, we can conclude that the disease leads to serious and dangerous complications. Complete hearing loss is considered the main danger in the development of otosclerosis without proper medical intervention.
Diagnostic Methods
How to treat ear otosclerosis? It all starts with being vigilant about your own he alth and correctly diagnosing the disease.
First of all, a person must make an appointment with an otolaryngologist (ENT), who will conduct subsequent diagnostics and prescribe treatment. According to the main symptoms, the doctor will conclude that the patient has problems with the he alth of the middle or inner ear. A more detailed diagnosis allows you to set a number of activities:
- Otoscopy of the ear, which allows you to detect the presence of changes in the tissues characteristic of otosclerosis.
- Audiometry.
- Diagnostics of the vestibular apparatus.
- Set the level of sensitivity to ultrasound.
- Hearing aid mobility test.
- X-ray and MRI appointment.
The most important is the correct separation of otosclerosis from other possible pathologies of the middle and inner ear. For this reason, the recommendations of a specialist should not be neglected.
Treatments
Symptoms and treatment of ear otosclerosis are the main aspects that an ENT should take into account wheninteraction with the patient. In choosing the right treatment therapy, great importance is given to the stage at which the disease is detected, as well as the correct classification of the disease.
Not all types of otosclerosis are amenable to medication, often you have to seek help from a surgeon. How to treat ringing in the ears with otosclerosis? The attending physician will be able to determine the necessary course based on the results of the diagnosis and the patient's condition.
Conservative tactics
If a patient has been diagnosed with otosclerosis in cochlear or mixed forms, the doctor may limit himself to conducting drug therapy in combination with physiotherapy methods, without resorting to surgical intervention.
Conservative tactics include the following activities:
- Taking drugs rich in iodine, phosphorus and bromine. Such complexes of multivitamins and minerals play a key role in the implementation of metabolic processes. Their action is aimed at preventing the appearance of excess calcium in soft tissues.
- Electrophoresis is widely used as a method of physiotherapeutic influence on the mastoid process.
- Adjusting the diet, adding foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals necessary for the smooth functioning of the body. This stage duplicates the intake of vitamin complexes, but has a natural nature.
Doctors specifically warn patients that they should limit their exposure to the sun and reduce the amount of vitamin D.
Surgery
Surgery for otosclerosis of the ear is performed if the patient has a fenestrial form of the disease, or conservative therapy has not brought results within three to five months. Treatment of the cochlear form of the disease with a surgical method is under study and development; at the moment, such operations are not performed.
Until recently, there have been two main approaches:
- Surgical effect on the ear stirrup, loosening it.
- Fenestration of the base of the ear stirrup, which meant creating a through hole in the organ. In this way, an improvement in perception and sound transmission was achieved.
Modern medicine tends to abandon these methods of ear surgery. Such an intervention brings only a short-term improvement in the patient's condition and does not justify the risks of surgery.
Stapedoplasty is an operation that has gained popularity in the treatment of otosclerosis. The essence of such an intervention is to remove the damaged stirrup and install a prosthesis in its place. This is an operation for otosclerosis of the ear, reviews of which captivate with their positivity. Studies and patient opinions show that about 80% of the operations performed gave the desired result.
Repeated surgical intervention to install the prosthesis is allowed after six months (performed on the other ear if necessary). Modern developments in the field of ear microsurgery allow to improve results and return to peoplehe alth.
The price of an operation for otosclerosis of the ear depends on the location of the operation, in the Moscow region it can reach 100 thousand rubles. At the same time, such an intervention is taken into account within the framework of the compulsory medical insurance policy.
Known prevention measures
Returning to the fact that scientists have not yet figured out the true causes of the development of pathology, it is necessary to understand that it is difficult to protect yourself from it. It is important to take precautions and carefully monitor your he alth.
You definitely need to undergo a regular examination at the ENT, which will allow you to see deviations at an early stage. With the appearance of tinnitus and other hearing problems, it is important to seek help in time, not to risk your own he alth.
If the disease is diagnosed, then careful adherence to the doctor's recommendations will allow you to keep your hearing at the proper level for a long time.
