Medical Questions » Ears Questions » Question No. 291
| Question: | Could you tell me about the hearing problem otosclerosis which is causing me considerable confusion and embarrassment? |
| Answer: | Otosclerosis is a relatively common ear condition that affects approximately one person in every 200 at some stage of their life.
Inside the middle ear are three tiny bones that vibrate to transmit sounds from the ear drum to the hearing mechanism in the inner ear. Otosclerosis is best described as a form of arthritis in these tiny bones and the bone that makes up the inner ear.
The bones become soft and enlarged, which reduces their ability to transmit vibration and thus sounds. It is more common in women, and usually starts in the late teens or twenties. Its onset may be triggered by pregnancy. There is a significant tendency for it to pass from one generation to the next.
The main symptoms of otosclerosis are steadily worsening deafness and a constant ringing noise in the ears. Outside noises of the right frequency may mask this ringing in the ears to make it less annoying, and enable the sufferer to hear more clearly. The noises in the head may be so severe that they are more distressing than the deafness. Dizziness occurs in some patients.
A hearing aid is the simplest form of treatment, and can be very effective, but as most patients are relatively young, a permanent operative cure in which the affected bones in the middle ear are replaced with Teflon substitutes is the treatment of choice.
Otosclerosis progresses very slowly, but never results in total deafness. The earlier in life the condition starts, the greater the final hearing loss and the worse the noises become.
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