Audiology

A middle ear infection is a problem that happens when germs grow in the space behind your eardrum. This often happens after a cold or a throat infection. It can cause ear pain, fever and trouble hearing.

Hearing loss is a sudden or gradual decrease in how well you can hear. It can happen slowly or suddenly. And it can range from slight to profound. It's often a natural result of aging. But it can affect people of all ages. Long exposure to loud noise can make it worse.

Permanent hearing loss can be treated with hearing aids or devices that alert you to sounds around the house like the doorbell. If hearing aids don't work for you, cochlear implants may be an option. Reversible hearing loss can often be treated successfully.

Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing a sound, such as a ringing or roaring, that does not come from a person's surroundings (nobody else can hear it). The sound may be continuous or come and go, it may keep time with the person's heartbeat, or it may coincide with the person's breathing.

To the person who is affected with tinnitus, the sound seems to come from one ear or from inside the head. In rare cases, clicking or crackling sounds or other noises in the ear can be heard by the doctor as well as by the person who has tinnitus.

Normal sounds that come from a person's surroundings are "heard" when sound waves strike the eardrum. The eardrum vibrates, and those vibrations enter the inner ear, where they stimulate nerve cells to create signals that travel along the acoustic nerve to the brain. The brain then translates the signals into patterns that a person recognizes as sounds.

Tinnitus occurs when there is no external source of sound waves. For reasons that are not understood, the brain receives signals, either from inside the head or from within the ear, that cause the sensation of hearing a sound.

Placing tubes in the ears drains the fluid and ventilates the middle ear. Tubes may keep ear infections from recurring while the tubes are in place. They keep fluid from building up behind the eardrum. And they decrease the feeling of pressure in the ears, which reduces pain. Doctors consider surgery to insert tubes:

• If fluid has built up in the ears for 3 to 4 months, especially if there is some hearing loss.
• If ear infections are recurring.

Hearing aids make sounds louder. There are many different styles of hearing aids. And you can add special features to your hearing aids. But almost all hearing aids have these parts:

• A microphone, to pick up sound.
• An amplifier, to make the sound louder.
• A speaker, to deliver the sound into the ear.

Hearing aids work for people with mild to severe hearing loss. An audiologist can help you decide what type of hearing aid will work best for you. Together, you can pick a hearing aid based on the style you're looking for and the type of hearing loss you have. An audiologist can help you learn how to get the most out of your hearing aids.

Antibiotics can treat ear infections caused by bacteria. Your doctor will likely give antibiotics if:

• You have an ear infection and are very ill.
• A child is younger than 2 and has an infection in both ears or has more than mild pain or fever.
• You are at risk for complications from the infection, such as trouble hearing.

Other medicines that can treat symptoms of an ear infection include:

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) for pain. Do not use ibuprofen if your child is less than 6 months old unless the doctor gave you instructions to use it. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
• Some eardrops. They may help with severe earache. But don't use them if the eardrum is ruptured.

Most studies find that decongestants, antihistamines and other nonprescription cold remedies usually don't help prevent or treat ear infections or fluid behind the eardrum.

Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20.