Hearing is one way of perceiving the world around us. The ability to hear is often perceived as a natural human opportunity, and in the meantime, ear health may be at risk. It is important to pay attention to alarming symptoms on time and not to delay a visit to the doctor.
The importance of hearing health
To determine the importance of hearing 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 to the issue, the proper 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 equilibrium and even navigate in space.
It is believed that the ears are not organs of increased vulnerability, but it is impossible to leave them without proper control. Deterioration or loss of hearing for anyone can be a problem or a real tragedy.
What is ear otosclerosis?
Despite their own protective mechanisms, the ears can undergo the development of various pathologies. It is important to carefully monitor the state of the hearing organs, this will help to preserve their health and the perception of the surrounding world for a long time.
Ear otosclerosis is a disease that is characterized by proliferation of bone structures in the soft tissue areas of the middle and inner ear. Medical statistics suggest that women are more susceptible to this pathology than the stronger sex. The disease is characterized by a long developmental pattern. In most cases, it begins in adolescence, reaching its peak in 30 years. Cases of the disease among young children are also found, but much less often.
Ear otosclerosis disease 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 area of the cochlea of the inner ear), the full-fledged transmission of vibrational movements to the desired receptors is stopped, that is, the sound wave does not reach its goal, does not form sound sensations. This development of ear otosclerosis leads to a serious hearing loss up to complete deafness.
Causes of the disease
Scientists still have not come to a consensus, which provokes the development of pathology in humans. Factors that affect the organs of hearing continue to be studied, which will further expand knowledge about the disease. But today there is reason to believe that ear otosclerosis is largely a genetic disease. A similar conclusion was made on the basis of clinical observations that showed a high percentage of heredity of this problem.
Other factors causing hearing loss:
- Anomalies of the auditory organs (congenital and acquired).
- Chronic pathologies of the middle ear.
- Noise overload (long stay in the zone of increased noise exposure).
- Strong emotional overload in combination with physical stress.
Specialists are also inclined to believe that sharp hormonal changes in the body (pregnancy, menopause), diseases of an infectious nature (measles), and problems in the functioning of the thyroid gland can provoke the disease.
Types of disease
In medicine, it is customary to classify a disease according to several criteria. Depending on the type, structure and location of ear neoplasms, there are:
- Fenestral otosclerosis. The focus of the disease is located on the eve of the cochlea of the inner ear. Disturbed perception of audio data.
- Cochlear otosclerosis, which directly affects the capsule of the ear cochlea. The ear loses the ability to fully conduct sound waves.
- A mixed type of pathology. This type violates not only perception, but also sound conduction, which leads to hearing loss in the patient.
By the nature of the course of the disease, active and sclerotic otosclerosis of the ear is divided. Pathology rarely appears in any one form, the stages of the course alternately replace each other.
According to the rate of development of the disease, it is also customary to divide into several stages, which are recorded within the framework of clinical observations:
- Transient disease (about 10% of known cases).
- Slow development of the disease (the most common nature of the disease, about 70% of cases).
- Mixed type of course or spasmodic (20% of cases).
Symptoms of the disease
There are several main factors that a person should pay attention to in time to detect the development of pathology.
Symptoms
- Noise in ears. Otosclerosis provokes the constant presence of noise interference, which can be perceived as wind, rustling 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, and the noise remains.
- Attacks of dizziness, which are 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 characteristic at the time of 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 hearing quality.
- Hearing loss, which is preceded by a feeling of constant congestion of the ear. It appears in one ear, it does not always spread 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 foregoing, it can be concluded 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 a vigilant attitude to one's own health and the correct diagnosis of the disease.
First of all, a person should make an appointment with an otolaryngologist (ENT), who will conduct subsequent diagnostics, and prescribe treatment. Based on the main symptoms, the doctor will conclude that the patient has problems with the health of the middle or inner ear. A more detailed diagnosis allows you to establish a number of measures:
- Otoscopy of the ear, which allows you to detect the presence of changes in the tissues characteristic of otosclerosis.
- Carrying out audiometry.
- Diagnosis of the vestibular apparatus.
- Sets the level of sensitivity to ultrasound.
- Examination of the mobility of the hearing aid.
- Appointment of X-ray and MRI.
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.
Treatment methods
Symptoms and treatment of ear otosclerosis are the main aspects that ENT should consider when interacting with a patient. In choosing the right therapeutic therapy, the stage at which the disease is detected, as well as the correct classification of the disease, are of great importance.
Not all types of otosclerosis respond to medication, often you have to seek help from a surgeon. How to treat tinnitus 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 the patient is diagnosed with otosclerosis in cochlear or mixed forms, then the doctor may limit himself to conducting drug therapy in combination with physiotherapeutic methods without resorting to surgery.
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 effect on the mastoid process.
- Correction of the diet, the addition of 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 separately pay attention to patients that they should limit their exposure to the sun and reduce the amount of vitamin D.
Surgical intervention
An operation for ear otosclerosis is performed if the patient has a phenestral form of the disease, or conservative therapy has not yielded results within three to five months. Surgical treatment of the cochlear form of the disease is under study and development; currently no such operations are performed.
Until recently, two main approaches were used:
- Surgical effect on the ear stirrup, its loosening.
- Fenestration of the base of the ear stirrup, which implied the creation of a through hole in the organ. In this way, an improvement in perception and sound transmission was achieved.
Modern medicine tends to abandon such methods of performing operations on the ear. Such an intervention brings only a short-term improvement in the patient's condition and does not justify the risks of the operation.
Stapedoplasty is an operation that has gained popularity in the treatment of otosclerosis. The essence of this intervention is to remove the damaged stapes and install a prosthesis in its place. This is an operation for ear otosclerosis, reviews of which bribe with its positivity. Studies and patient opinions show that about 80% of the operations performed gave the desired result.
Repeated surgery to install the prosthesis is allowed after six months (performed on the other ear if necessary). Modern developments in the field of ear microsurgery can improve results and restore people's health.
The price of an operation for ear otosclerosis depends on the venue, in the Moscow region it can reach 100 thousand rubles. Moreover, such an intervention is taken into account in the framework of the compulsory health insurance policy.
Known preventive measures
Returning to the fact that scientists still have not figured out the true reasons for the development of pathology, it is necessary to understand that it is difficult to protect oneself from it. It is important to observe safety precautions and carefully monitor your health.
It is imperative to undergo a regular examination at the ENT, which will allow you to see the 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 health.
If the disease is diagnosed, then careful observance of the doctor’s recommendations will help to maintain hearing for a long time.