Common ENT Conditions

1 Hearing Loss
.

D. Balakrishnan
BSc, MS, DLO

Professor of ENT Diseases

ENT Surgeon, Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital
Secretary, Assn. of Paed. Otolaryngologists of India
How do we hear ?
An additional work for the Ears …

The ear does a double duty. It

looks after balancing also.
 The three semicircular
canals act like spirit levels.
When you move your
head, the liquid moves. In
response, the hair cells
send electrical impulses to
the brain.

Thus the brain gets to know the head

position even when your eyes are closed.
The ears subserve both hearing and balance
Hence ear diseases cause

• loss of hearing
• Loss of balance (vertigo)
• Extra noises (tinnitus)
• Pain
• Swelling
• discharge.
 My alma mater
Madras Medical College

I studied here 1971 - 1981

1971

1981
During this period, what happened in
the ENT field ?

 The operating microscope and the

endoscope invented
 Advances in physics allowed proper
elucidation of the hearing mechanism
 Better instrumentation enabled us to
measure noise and the damage it causes
Commonest cause of Ear Block

Wax
Wax
Next Common cause of Ear Block

Cold
How does a cold block the ear

Bulging

bubbles

Glueing
 Such collection of fluid, bulging,
glue like sticking and the final
adhesion impair the drum movement
and causes hearing loss. This type is
termed Conductive loss.
The treatment: Insert a tube which will
allow air to enter the middle ear.
Sometimes, the bulging drum gets
infected and perforates …
Result: a hole in the ear drum

Obviously, there will be a hearing loss

Wax is a natural secretion. It
comes out by itself. It does not
need any help from us to come
out.
Attempts at removal
only create havoc.
Picking causes initial redness, then …
 … a hole in the ear drum

Keep your hands away from the drum !

 Hearing loss from birth

This tag represents ear

 Hearing loss from birth

White forelock, blue iris, low set ears

Other causes of Hearing Loss

• diseases e.g. Mumps, Zoster

• Some medicines e.g. Streptomycin
• Advancing age
• Injury by a loud gun shot, crackers
• Injury by a continuous noise
Thank You for the patient listening

D. Balakrishnan