Disorders of the ear can be experienced by everyone, both children and adults. Not only makes the ears hurt, this condition can also cause the sufferer to lose hearing. However, with proper treatment, ear disorders can be cured.
The ear consists of 3 parts, namely the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. The three parts of the ear have their respective functions in capturing sound and channeling it to the brain so you can hear. In addition, the ear can also function to maintain body balance.
Because the function of the ear is so important, it is natural that the ear is always maintained and cared for properly. However, the ear can sometimes be disturbed or affected by disease. As a result, the function of the sense of hearing and body balance can be problematic.
Some Kinds of Ear Disorders
There are several types of diseases or disorders of the ear, including:
1. Otitis externa
Otitis externa or swimmer's ear is inflammation of the outer ear. This disorder can occur if your ears often get water in, for example due to swimming.
Ears that often get water in will become wet and damp, making it easier for bacteria or fungi to more easily multiply in the ear canal.
In addition to the ear canal that is often wet, otitis externa can also be caused by other things, such as cleaning the ear too often or too vigorously, wounds or injuries, foreign objects ingested, or problems with the skin of the ear, such as dry skin or eczema.
Otitis externa can cause the following symptoms:
- Itchy ears
- Pain, especially when the ear is touched or pulled
- Ears look red and swollen
- Fluid coming out of the ear
- Hearing disorders
- Ears feel full or clogged
- Fever
- A lump appears in the neck or around the ear due to swollen lymph nodes
2. Otitis media
Otitis media is a disorder of the middle ear caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Otitis media is more common in children than adults.
Symptoms caused by otitis media include ear pain, hearing loss, fever, and discharge from the ear that is yellowish, greenish, or brown in color, and smells bad.
3. Otitis internal
Otitis interna is an infection of the inner ear which controls hearing function and maintains body balance. Ear disorders can occur due to untreated otitis media and viral or bacterial infections in the ear.
Symptoms of an inner ear infection include vertigo, dizziness, difficulty standing or sitting, nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, ear pain, and hearing loss.
4. Ruptured eardrum
The eardrum or tympanic membrane is a thin membrane that separates the ear canal and the middle ear. If there is interference with the ear, the eardrum can rupture.
There are several things that can cause a ruptured eardrum, including:
- Untreated severe middle ear infection or otitis media
- Foreign object in ear
- The habit of picking the ear too deeply using certain objects, such as cotton bud or toothpick
- A very loud sound, like an explosion
- Impact or injury to the head or ear
- Barotrauma or sudden changes in air pressure, for example while on an airplane or diving
A ruptured eardrum can cause symptoms such as ear pain, discharge from the ear, hearing loss, ringing in the ears, and vertigo or spinning dizziness.
5. Ringing in the ears
Ringing in the ears or tinnitus is characterized by a ringing sensation in the ears that can last for a short or long time. Ear problems can be caused by many things, including:
- Disorders of nerve cells in the ear
- aging
- The habit of hearing the sound at a loud volume, either for a short time or for a long time
- Earwax blockage
- hardened ear bones
6. Cholesteatoma
This ear disorder is caused by abnormal growth of skin tissue near the eardrum or middle ear space. The growth of this skin tissue can cause the tissue and bone around the middle ear to be damaged, so that the function of the ear is disturbed.
Cholesteatoma can cause various symptoms, such as pain, foul-smelling ear, discharge from the ear, ear feeling full or blocked, hearing loss, and weakening of the facial muscles on the side of the ear affected by cholesteatoma.
7. Otosclerosis
When the ear picks up sound, the eardrum and ossicles in the middle ear vibrate to create auditory impulses that can be sent to the brain. When these stimuli reach the brain, there is a hearing process.
However, in otosclerosis, the ossicles in the middle ear are stiff and cannot move properly. Disorders of this ear can make the sufferer difficult to hear and often experience ringing in the ears.
In addition to the above conditions, there are other types of ear disorders, such as acoustic neuroma or a tumor on the ear nerve and prebiacusis, which is a condition of decreased hearing function due to aging.
Handling Ear Disorders
If you experience symptoms of ear disorders, immediately go to an ENT specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment.
To diagnose the type of ear disorder you are experiencing and determine what causes it, the doctor can perform a physical examination of the ear using an otoscope and perform other investigations, such as tympanometry, hearing tests, and CT or MRI scans of the head and ears.
After the cause of the ear problems you are experiencing is known, the doctor can provide treatment in the form of:
Administration of drugs
The administration of drugs will be adjusted to the cause of the disturbance in the ear that you are experiencing. Your doctor can prescribe antibiotics in the form of ear drops to kill the bacteria causing the infection as well as antifungal medications to get rid of the fungus that grows and infects your ear.
To treat severe swelling and inflammation in the ear, the doctor will also prescribe corticosteroid ear drops. If ear problems are causing you pain, your doctor can prescribe pain relievers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Operation
If antibiotics are not effective in treating an ear problem or if fluid builds up in your ear for more than 3 months, your doctor may perform surgery on the eardrum or myringotomy. This procedure is done to drain fluid or pus trapped behind the eardrum.
In the case of a ruptured eardrum, the doctor can patch or close the hole with patches or perform tympanoplasty surgery. Surgery is also usually performed to treat cholesteatoma and acoustic neuroma.
Use of hearing aids
If your hearing loss is severe enough, your doctor will usually recommend using a hearing aid. In certain cases, your doctor may also recommend that you undergo cochlear implant surgery.
Ear disorders are a serious health problem because they can cause hearing loss and other complications, such as meningitis. Therefore, you need to immediately consult an ENT doctor to get the right treatment if you experience symptoms of ear disorders.