By Dr. Vijay Shinde, Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT)
The three main parts of your ear are the outer, inner and middle ear. All of them play a crucial role in your hearing. The outer ear is where sound waves come in from. The middle ear is where the sound waves cause your eardrum to vibrate. Ossicles (three tiny bones in your middle ear) transmit these vibrations. The Ossicles are in your middle ear. These vibrations then go to the inner ear which makes the nerve pulses transmitted to your brain and these nerve pulses are recognized as sounds.
Few of the common ear disorders are:
1. Ear Infections:
This is very common in youth. It is a bacterial or viral infection which usually affects the middle ear. These tend to be very painful and there is also a lot of buildup of fluid in the middle ear.
Tinnitus is when you think there is noise or ringing but there is actually nothing. This is a very annoying but not at all serious condition. In fact, it is usually considered a symptom of an underlying condition.
3. Meniere’s Disease:
This is a very severe condition in which you have symptoms of vertigo as well as progressive permanent hearing loss and tinnitus. This usually occurs in individuals between 20 and 50 years of age.
4. Ear Barotrauma:
Ear barotrauma is the pain you feel due to changes in pressure. While acute ear barotrauma is normal, chronic cases need treatment. This is because the Eustachian tube which regulates ear pressure gets blocked when you experience ear barotrauma.