Problems with the ear are often caused by ischemia in the ear, and a common ear condition is not only hearing loss, but also dizziness, which many people overlook. Because the ear plays two major roles in the human body, hearing and keeping the balance of the body, if there is a problem with the ear that causes an imbalance, there will be a sense of vertigo. According to relevant information, 70% to 80% of the dizziness in the human body is caused by ear problems, but many people will ignore the dizziness caused by the ears.
Experts say that although most deafness diseases can be improved by treatment at present, patients’ own health care awareness is weak and they know nothing about deafness diseases, which leads to aggravation of the disease or poor treatment effect.
Otoliths
Otoliths are important tissues in the ear that maintain balance. If an otolith is dislodged, it can cause dizziness. It manifests itself as a brief dizziness when sleeping or turning from side to side, usually within 30 seconds to one minute, and is more pronounced when changing positions. According to statistics, otoliths account for 30 percent of ear problems in the elderly. Dr. Liu recommends that if you experience transient dizziness, especially when you change position, you should visit an otolaryngologist as soon as possible.
Ménière’s syndrome
Ménière’s syndrome is often referred to as ear water imbalance, and is a relatively common ear disease. The dizziness caused by ear water imbalance usually lasts for half an hour to an hour, and the ears will feel clogged and swollen, and there are fluctuations in hearing, and hearing will become worse during episodes. In terms of treatment, Dr. Liu said that most of the symptoms can be relieved after the patient rests in bed for a few hours, and medication can also be used to dehydrate and reduce swelling. In terms of prevention, it is best for patients to take a low-salt diet, drink less coffee and strong tea, and quit smoking and drinking.
Vestibular neuritis
This is caused by a viral invasion such as a cold, which infects the vestibular nerve and can cause dizziness for a few days or more. If left untreated, dizziness can also bring about a sense of instability and balance disorders, and rehabilitation treatments such as balance exercises are required to improve symptoms.
Sudden deafness
Mr. Lin, after staying up late working for several days in a row, suddenly found that his hearing was significantly reduced, accompanied by tinnitus and vertigo. He went to the hospital and found that it was sudden deafness, and after a week of treatment, his hearing basically returned to normal, and his tinnitus and vertigo basically disappeared.
Director Wu said that, unlike before, a significant proportion of sudden deafness patients today are middle-aged and young. Timely treatment is the only way to avoid permanent deafness, and the treatment is less effective if the condition lasts more than a month. “Sudden deafness is like a ‘stroke in the ear,’ a sudden sensorineural deafness. Attention to work and rest, adequate rest and avoidance of mental stress are important measures for prevention.”
Auditory neuroma
Auntie Wu, 57, had mild hearing loss and tinnitus in her right ear 6 years ago, but she thought she was just getting older and her ears were not good, so she never went to the hospital for a checkup. But 3 months ago, she started to have facial paralysis on her right side, which gradually worsened, and after visiting the hospital, she found a large tumor at the right pontocerebellar angle. After surgery, although the “time bomb” was defused, the condition was delayed for a long time, resulting in damage to the facial nerve, making it difficult to recover.
Director Wu pointed out that auditory neuroma is a benign tumor originating from the auditory nerve, but it is easy to miss the diagnosis due to its hidden growth, so if you experience unilateral deafness or tinnitus, you should be alert.
Watch out! Tinnitus is not necessarily a problem with the ear
The above article introduces some ear diseases that are caused by problems with the ear itself, but sometimes ear diseases can occur even though the ear is obviously fine. According to otologists, don’t think that ear disease must come from the “ear”, other diseases in the body can also trigger the ear to fall into an abnormal state.
In fact, some diseases in other parts of the body can also cause tinnitus, such as pulmonary heart disease, hypertension, kidney disease, ototoxic drugs and other causes, but ultimately it is the ears that are the problem.
Experts told reporters that the primary manifestation of some diseases of the central nervous system is dizziness, which is similar to the dizziness caused by otogenic diseases, especially the feeling of vertigo among dizziness. “If you feel yourself spinning and have the sensation of swaying and tumbling, like riding a roller coaster, it may be related to your ears. Dizziness caused by the ears alone will also have symptoms such as a feeling of ear blockage, swelling, hearing loss and tinnitus. And dizziness caused by the nervous system can be accompanied by headaches, numbness and impaired movement of the limbs, and difficulty swallowing or pronouncing words.” Dr. Liu suggests that elderly people with dizziness should first rule out neurological diseases, and if there are no major problems after examination, they should immediately go to the ENT department for consultation.
Be alert! Six causes of hearing loss in the elderly
Although the ear is an insignificant part of the human body, please do not ignore it, once the ear is out of order, it will affect the health of the whole person, especially the elderly need to pay attention. Dr. Zhang Xiaowen, chief physician, summarized the six major causes of hearing loss in the elderly.
1. Physiological factors. When people reach a certain age, their bodies will age, and their ears will be more obvious, and the specific symptoms are hearing loss.
2, historical factors. Problems inherited from childhood. Mainly long-term bad habits, such as ear damage caused by improper ear extraction, prolonged phone calls, listening to stereos, wearing headphones to listen to MP3, or taking ototoxic drugs by mistake when taking medication, all of these can lay a hidden worry for future age-related deafness.
3.Disease factors. Some diseases can also induce senile ear disease, such as diabetes, nephritis, heart disease, hypertension, brain tumors, etc.
4. Air pressure factor. Some elderly people like swimming and hiking, and these sports have high pressure changes, which can also lead to ear disease in the elderly.
5.External factors. In addition to some conventional factors, Director Zhang also mentioned that the sound of old partner snoring at night can also cause senile deafness.
6, emotional factors. High work pressure, excessive stress and strain can damage hearing and cause ear disease.