Having problems hearing clearly is frustrating and isolating. If you develop hearing difficulties, visit double board-certified Shivan Amin, MD, at Midtown ENT in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Amin diagnoses and treats conditions ranging from infections and tumors to permanent hearing loss. Call Midtown ENT today or schedule a consultation online to get an expert hearing disorder diagnosis and effective treatment.
Hearing disorders affect how well you hear. Some cause conductive hearing loss, where a problem in your middle or outer ear prevents sound waves from accessing your inner ear. Leading causes of conductive hearing loss include:
Sensorineural hearing loss develops when the inner ear’s auditory nerve and/or sensory cells suffer damage. This is most often due to:
Disorders that cause conductive hearing loss are usually treatable, after which your hearing returns. Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent, but hearing aids and assistive listening devices can help you hear better.
Hearing disorders, especially those caused by an inner ear problem, often trigger dizziness and vertigo (feeling like the room is spinning around you). This happens because the inner ear is a vital part of your vestibular system, which controls balance. Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) conditions that often cause dizziness and/or vertigo include:
BPPV develops when the inner ear’s calcium crystals that help you balance move out of position. It’s the most frequently diagnosed cause of vertigo in adults.
Vestibular neuritis is an inflammatory disorder affecting the inner ear nerves controlling balance. Symptoms include nausea and trouble walking.
Meniere’s disease is a rare cause of sudden, severe vertigo, hearing loss, buzzing, ringing, and/or a feeling of fullness in the ear.
Migraine headaches often cause dizziness.
An acoustic neuroma is a benign (noncancerous), slow-growing mass affecting hearing and balance nerves. Hearing loss, dizziness, and ringing (or hissing or humming) in the ears (tinnitus) are common symptoms.
Hearing disorder treatments vary depending on the condition’s cause. Removing impacted earwax is often all that’s required. If you have an infection, antibiotics should fix the problem. BPPV treatment uses the Epley maneuver — a series of movements that return the dislodged calcium crystals to their proper positions.
If your hearing loss is irreversible, hearing aids can be highly beneficial. They come in many styles, including ones that fit into the ear canal, so they’re almost invisible.
Call Midtown ENT today or book an appointment online to find the cause of your hearing disorder and the best available treatment.