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Ear Services
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is a noise such as a ringing or buzzing in the ears, which is common and affects millions of Americans. It can be caused by an underlying, treatable condition, though for benign essential tinnitus, treatment success is frequently incomplete. Exacerbating conditions include noise exposure, stress, depression, certain medications, and caffeine or tobacco intake.
Treatment depends on the cause and may include earwax removal, changes in medication, surgery to improve middle ear conditions, hearing aids, white noise masking devices, or rarely prescription medications.
Pediatric Otolaryngology
Pediatric ear surgery can range from the simple placement of pressure equalizing tubes in the eardrum to compensate for dysfunction of the Eustachian tube, to cochlear implants for deafness. Most common are tube surgeries, performed when conservative management such as antibiotics and allergy treatment are unsuccessful. More complex surgeries include tympanic membrane reconstruction, surgery for cholesteatoma, and reconstruction of the ear canal. We take great care in trying to determine the underlying cause for the ear infections, and have significant experience working with children in a sometimes stressful situation.
Hearing & Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is the sudden or gradual decrease in how well you can hear sounds. Most commonly caused by age, hearing loss is a common condition that affects up to 25% of people between the ages of 65 and 75, and up to 75% of people over the age of 75. Hearing loss can be mild or severe and can be reversible, temporary or permanent.
There are two main types of hearing loss, conductive, and sensorineural. Conductive loss implies a problem with either the ear drum or 3 bones of hearing (malleus, incus, and stapes.) It is frequently correctible surgically. Sensorineural hearing loss implies a problem with the cochlea or nerve of hearing. Frequently it can be helped with a hearing aid, medical treatment, or in extreme circumstances, cochlear implantation.
Cochlear Implants
Cochlear implants are multipart devices inserted into the skull and inner ear that directly stimulate the nerve of hearing to replicate sound. They are used for people who are severe to profoundly deaf who no longer gain benefit from hearing aids, or in children who are born deaf. We have a team of audiologists and surgeon who have been doing cochlear implants since 1996, and have hundreds of successes. While the hearing gained is not perfect, many children can enroll in school with their peers, many adults have much better sound awareness and can understand speech, and many gain great relief from the social isolation of deafness.
Acoustic Neuroma
Acoustic neuromas are slow growing benign tumors that develop on the sheath of the nerve of hearing and balance. Typical presenting signs include unilateral hearing loss and imbalance. Over time, the tumors can become quite large and compress the brainstem and cerebellum, and wipe out hearing and balance function on the affected side. Treatment options include observation with serial imaging to determine the rate of growth of the tumor, radiation to stunt the growth of the tumor, or surgical removal. All options have their benefits and disadvantages, as well as significant risk. Decisions are frequently based on patient age, rate of growth of the tumor, hearing status, and general health of the patient. We work as a surgical team with a neurosurgeon in treating these tumors, and recommend a discussion with your doctor to weigh all options.
Ear Infections & Drainage
Ear infections are one of the most common diseases in children and occur most often between the ages of four months and five years. An infection occurs when excess fluid, often as a result of a cold, becomes trapped in the eustachian tubes or infected by bacteria. This fluid pushes against the eardrum and causes pain.
Aside from pain, ear infections can also cause:
- Hearing loss
- Fever
- Irritability
- Discharge from the ear canal
- Difficulty sleeping
Although an ear infection can cause your child pain and may result in crying, sleepless nights, there is no real treatment method. Ear infections usually go away on their own and are not helped much by antibiotics. Over-the-counter pain relief is often recommended, but otherwise there is no standard treatment for this common condition.
Meniere's Disease
Meniere's disease involves abnormalities in the inner ear that lead to hearing and balance problems. This condition usually occurs in only one ear and is most common among adults in their 40s and 50s. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, over 600,000 people in the US have Meniere's disease.
Vertigo & Balance Problems
Hearing and balance problems are often inter-related conditions, as part of the inner ear (known as the labyrinth) interacts with other body systems like the eyes, bones and joints to maintain balance. Problems within the vestibular (ear) system can cause balance problems, which affect over 2 million people each year.
A balance disorder is a complex condition that causes feelings of unsteadiness, wooziness and sensations of spinning, moving or floating.
Some of the most common balance disorders include:
- Labyrinthitis
- Meniere’s disease
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
- Vestibular neronitis
Treatment for hearing and balance disorders involves treating the underlying cause of the condition, which may be done through hearing aids, ear tubes, surgery or other treatments. Your doctor will decide which treatment is best for you after a thorough evaluation of your condition.
