Our ears are complex organs that work very hard and precisely for us every day. They enable us to hear, and thus to communicate. The inner ear and the equilibrium organ form a functional anatomical unit, also known as the labyrinthine system. If these functions are impaired we may experience a loss of hearing, dizziness, or pain.
The most common diseases of the ear concha are inflammation and tumour processes as well as injuries. In particular, chronic UV exposure can result in benign or malignant changes of the skin and the underlying structures, which might require a surgical procedure.
Both children and adults can be affected by hearing disorders or loss of hearing. Especially in children, this can be accompanied by difficulties in learning speech or abnormal behavior, lack of concentration as well as speech development disorders. Therefore, it is important to clarify any suspected hearing impairment. Hearing impairment can also be caused by changes in the ear canal, middle ear (conductive hearing loss) or inner ear (sensorineural hearing loss). It is important to differentiate this by means of microscopic examinations of the ear and different hearing tests in order to apply the appropriate therapy. We are recognised IV/AHV expert physicians and also offer the required expertise (pure-tone and language audiograms) within the framework of hearing-aid fitting.
Noises in the ear, such as whistling, humming or ringing, which is only perceived by the affected person, is called tinnitus. Tinnitus usually occurs only infrequently and temporarily and can be caused by stress, an accident or exposure to very loud noise, but it can also be caused without a triggering event. In rare cases, an organic disease might be the cause. In order to effectively treat tinnitus with an appropriate therapy, and to prevent chronic stress, the causes of the tinnitus must be investigated by means of a hearing test and a medical examination.
The most common diseases of the ear canal are acute inflammatory changes, which occur particularly often during the swimming season, and are referred to as “swimmer’s ear”. Often, even an ear plug can trigger a painful inflammation of the ear canal. In both cases, the ear canal needs to be cleaned and ear drops applied. In case of ear pain, one must consider middle ear infections, and a prompt visit to an otologist is recommended. In case of recurring or chronic middle ear infections (otitis media), depending on the severity, a paracentesis needs to be performed, or an ear ventilation tube (vent tube) inserted.
Injuries to the tympanic membrane, the thin membrane between the ear canal and the middle ear, are very common ear diseases, caused by inflammation or even accidents. A microscopic examination of the ear as well as a hearing test are necessary for diagnosis.