Ear

This is a loss of hearing that happens over time. It may affect one ear or both. You may not notice it right away. But it can make it harder to hear and understand sounds. Let's take a moment to learn more.

We all need to be aware of the danger of noise-induced hearing loss. That's hearing loss that's caused by loud noise. It tends to happen over time. When you finally notice it, your hearing is permanently damaged. Let's learn more about this type of hearing loss, and how you can prevent it.

This is a loss of hearing that happens all at once or over a few days. It often affects one ear. This can be scary. Let's take a moment to learn more.

This is an irritation of your middle ear. That's the part of your ear just behind your eardrum. In a healthy ear, fluid drains out of the middle ear through a passage called the "Eustachian tube." But when the middle ear is inflamed, fluid can't drain well.

If you've lost some of your hearing, you know how frustrating it can be. You may miss parts of what people are saying. And people may leave you out of conversations altogether. But there are some simple things you can do to make communication easier.

This is a tear or a hole in your eardrum. The eardrum is a thin membrane at the back of your ear canal. Normally it seals the ear canal, keeping germs and debris from reaching the deeper parts of your ear. The eardrum helps you hear by transmitting sound waves to the structures behind it. A ruptured eardrum can cause problems.

This is an inflammation, irritation or infection of your ear. It can affect the ear canal and the outer part of your ear. Swimmer's ear is most common in teens and young adults. It can be a short-term problem, or something that keeps coming back.

If you hear an annoying buzzing or ringing sound in one or both ears, you have tinnitus. It can bother you a lot. Tinnitus is a problem with your auditory system. That's the system that lets you hear. The problem may be in the ear. It may be in the nerve that connects your ear to your brain. Or, it may be in the part of your brain that makes sense of sound signals. Usually, tinnitus is not a sign that you have a serious issue.

If you feel like you're spinning for no reason, you have vertigo. This dizziness can be a nuisance, but it's usually not a sign of anything serious. It can interrupt your day. And it can put you at risk for falling.

Watch this video to understand what happens in the body when you have an ear infection.

Watch this video to learn about otitis media, how ear infections develop in the middle ear, and why they often follow a common cold.

We tend to think of hearing loss as mainly a "hearing" problem. But it also affects your social life, often in ways you may not even realize. As communication becomes harder for you, you may get left out of conversations. You may get left out of groups. Gradually, you become more and more isolated. This isn't good for your brain or your emotional health. But hearing aids can change that. Let's look at some of the benefits.

This is a gradual thickening of the bone that surrounds the ear canal. As the bone thickens, the ear canal narrows. This leads to issues with the ear and hearing.

This surgery removes a tumor called an "acoustic neuroma." It's found on a nerve in the middle ear.

Watch this video to learn how to prepare for cochlear implant surgery.

Watch this video to learn self-care instructions after a cochlear implant.

This surgery treats issues in the middle ear and mastoid bone. The middle ear is the space behind the eardrum. The mastoid bone surrounds it. We often do this surgery to treat chronic infection or abnormal growths. As part of the procedure, we may also address and correct issues affecting the ear bones and the eardrum.

These head movements relieve the symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (we say "BPPV"). This type of vertigo is caused by a problem in the fluid-filled canals found in your inner ear. These canals help you stay balanced. With BPPV, small crystals of calcium break free from your inner ear and float into these canals. This confuses your brain and causes vertigo symptoms. The Epley maneuver moves the crystals out of the canals and back where they belong. This can give you quick relief.

A cochlear implant is a device that helps reverse nerve-related hearing loss. It can treat hearing loss that will not respond to hearing aids. During cochlear implant surgery, the device is implanted into the inner ear (cochlea). A few weeks after surgery, the device is turned on and hearing is restored.

We all know hearing aids help you communicate. But did you know that hearing aids may also improve your brain function and memory? Let's learn more about that.

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

Pop Quiz: Ears and Hearing

These head movements relieve the symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (we say "BPPV"). This type of vertigo is caused by a problem in the fluid-filled canals found in your inner ear. These canals help you stay balanced. With BPPV, small crystals of calcium break free from your inner ear and float into these canals. This confuses your brain and causes vertigo symptoms. The Epley maneuver moves the crystals out of the canals and back where they belong. This can give you quick relief.