An acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor of the nerve that controls balance. It runs alongside the nerve that controls hearing. Tumors may arise where the nerve begins at the brainstem (cerebellopontine angle) or further along the nerve in the internal auditory canal, closer to the inner ear. Symptoms may

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Cholesteatomas may be congenital (you may be born with it) or acquired (may develop later in life). Cholesteatomas are essentially cysts formed form the tympanic membrane (ear drum). A pocket is formed in the ear drum which traps the lining of the drum, allowing for continued growth and expansion of

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Dizziness may be defined as the sensation of lightheadedness, loss of balance, or unsteadiness. This may be associated with disequilibrium or vertigo. Initial care of dizziness is geared toward discerning a cause for the dizziness. Causes are widely varied and include disease of the ear, brain, heart,

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Ear pain can arise from problems of the ear such as infections, or can be caused by referred pain - pathology from elsewhere in the head and neck that causes pain in the ear without actually having any abnormalities of the ear. Other sources include diseases of the throat (tonsillitis, benign ulcers,

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Sensorineural hearing loss is defined as a loss of hearing caused by problems occurring in the inner ear and auditory (hearing) nerve. Causes may include aging, genetic-associated loss (hereditary), noise exposure or noise trauma, infections, congenital syndromes, inflammatory or auto-immune diseases,

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Meniere's disease is a disorder of the inner ear in which the tiny membranous (soft) channel that holds fluid in the inner ear swells abnormally, resulting in hearing loss (typically fluctuating but may be permanent), vertigo, the sensation of ear fullness, and tinnitus (ringing of the ear, typically

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Otitis externa is an inflammation of the outer ear and ear canal. It is most commonly infectious, although it can be caused by inflammation or dermatitis (allergic reaction of the skin). Infections are most commonly bacterial, but may be fungal. Infections may be caused or worsened by water exposure,

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Acute otitis media is an infection of the middle ear - the usually air-filled space between the tympanic membrane (eardrum) and the bone of the inner ear. Most infections will resolve without treatment or with oral antibiotics, while a small percentage will not improve with conservative treatment and

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Otosclerosis is a disorder of the bone around the stapes, the third of the ossicles - the hearing bones of the middle ear. The bone around the base of the stapes becomes hardened and fixed, preventing the normal motion of the stapes in response to sound waves, resulting in a conductive hearing loss.

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Tinnitus describes any abnormal sound heard in the ear. Tinnitus may be described as a high or low pitch, ringing, roaring, buzzing, humming, cricket-like, or pulsating, among various other descriptions. Tinnitus is most commonly caused by hearing loss, but may have multiple other causes - wax build-up,

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A tympanic membrane perforation is a hole in the eardrum. It may occur as a result of trauma to the eardrum, an acute infection, chronic infection, or a cholesteatoma. Some perforations will heal on their own without treatment (usually those that have resulted from trauma or acute infection), while others

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Peripheral vertigo is defined as the sensation of spinning, caused by an abnormality in the nerve of balance or the inner ear itself. Treatment is directed at the cause, of which there are many. Vestibular suppressants (meclizine, dramamine, benzodiazepines - used with extreme caution, etc.) may be helpful

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