We offer a comprehensive range of services, including hearing assessment, expert consultation, hearing device fitting, aid repairs, tinnitus assessment, and convenient home visits for senior citizens.
Ear conditions and ear health
Find out more about ear health issues and conditions and how hearing can be impacted by them.
Acoustic neuroma
An acoustic neuroma, also known as vestibular schwannoma, is a slow-growing non-cancerous brain tumour. But, it may have an impact on your hearing and balance. Let’s examine more closely.
Auditory Process Disorder (APD)
Since most individuals with auditory processing disorder (APD) are able to hear normally, the disorder is not considered a hearing impairment in the conventional sense. Rather, it describes the brain’s incapacity to accurately process sound as it travels through the ear.
Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED).
When the immune system misinterprets healthy cells and tissues as viruses or bacteria that the body needs to fight off, an autoimmune reaction results. Antibodies attacking the inner ear are the cause of autoimmune inner ear disease, which results in hearing loss.
Cholesteatoma
An abnormal growth of skin behind the eardrum is called a cholesteatoma. Even though it’s not cancerous, if treatment is not received, it may cause more problems, so it’s critical to see your doctor.
Causes of Hearing Loss
Simply put, hearing loss results from sound from our environment not reaching the brain in a way that makes sense, for whatever reason. It can have a variety of effects on you, but friends and family may find it challenging to deal with.
Do ear candles really work?
Even though it’s not the most appetising subject for conversation at the dinner table, earwax has a negative connotation despite being crucial to the wellbeing of our ears.
Ear-popping
Popping ears is the result of pressure being equalised between the outer and middle ear so that your eardrum (tympanic membrane) works most effectively.
Ear Barotrauma
Changes in air pressure can induce ear barotrauma, also referred to as aeroplane ear, which usually affects the ears. High-pressure environments and sudden changes in altitude are the main causes of stress on the eardrum.
Ear cleaning
Because your ears are meant to be self-cleaning, they typically produce enough earwax to keep issues from arising and eventually exfoliate the ear entirely on their own.
Ear discharge (otorrhea).
There are several different types of ear discharge, each with their own set of causes. Most of the time, it’s just the result of earwax production occurring naturally, but occasionally, it may be an indication of another illness that needs more care.
Ear infections.
It’s highly likely that most people have experienced an ear infection at some point in their lives. The majority of cases can be resolved on their own in three days, but if your symptoms are really bothering you, we always advise visiting your doctor or pharmacist.
Eardrum Repair
Surgery may be required to repair the tear or hole in your eardrum if you have a perforated (burst) eardrum and it hasn’t healed after a few weeks. Find out more about the kinds of processes that are involved.
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD)
The tiny tubes called eustachian tubes can occasionally become clogged, constricted, or inflamed; this condition is known as eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD).
Fluid in the ear.
A buildup of fluid that becomes trapped behind the eardrum occurs when there is a problem with the drainage tubes in the ear. This condition is known as fluid in the ear. This is a symptom of various ear conditions and can occur for various reasons.
Fungal ear infection (otomycosis).
An infection of the outer ear is called a fungal ear infection. It is known by the medical term otomycosis. Usually, it affects the external auditory canal, which runs from the earhole to the eardrum.
Glue Ear
When fluid fills the space in your middle ear where air normally exists, you get glue ear. The eardrum’s vibrations are then disrupted by this fluid, making hearing more difficult. Glue ear, also called OME (otitis media with effusion) or secretory otitis media, is more common in children than in adults. It can affect one or both ears.
Hyperacusis
An intolerance or sensitivity to commonplace noises is a symptom of hyperacusis. It can range widely in intensity from a minor irritation to something that makes people extremely uncomfortable and challenging to live with. Hyperacusis can affect anyone, but it typically affects children.
Impacted ear wax
Impacted earwax is a build-up of earwax in the ear that, if left untreated, may become infected.
Itchy ears
It’s normal to occasionally experience itchy ears. There are several potential causes for it, but in most cases, there is nothing to be concerned about. No matter how itchy your ears are, you shouldn’t try to scratch them with anything.
Labyrinthitis
The fluid-filled tubes in the inner ear are called the labyrinth. When this inflames and affects the nerve systems that control our balance and hearing, we get labyrinthitis.
Mastoiditis
If you or your child exhibit any symptoms, it’s crucial to consult your general practitioner (GP) as this condition, while rare, has the potential to worsen.
Ménière's disease
A condition of the inner ear that results in bouts of intense vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus. usually affects individuals between the ages of 20 and 60.
Misophonia
People with the disorder known as misophonia react extremely emotionally to specific sounds.
Mixed hearing loss.
A combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss caused by a number of factors and thus treated in a variety of ways.
Muffled hearing
This kind of hearing loss sounds somewhat muffled, as the name would imply. There are several reasons why it might occur, so it’s best to consult an audiologist or general practitioner to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.
Otitis externa.
This is the medical term for an infection of the ear canal, which causes swelling and inflammation of the tube that connects the outer ear to the eardrum.
Otosclerosis
an aberrant growth of bone surrounding one of the ear’s small bones that interferes with sound transmission to the inner ear. In their 20s and 30s, people begin to notice a change in their hearing.
Pendred syndrome
Usually affecting both ears, it’s frequently associated with an enlarged thyroid (a goitre).
Perforated eardrum.
This occurs when there is a hole or tear in the eardrum and is also referred to as a ruptured or burst eardrum. The majority of cases will go away on their own, but they can also result in infections or other problems.
Perichondritis
an infection of the skin covering the ear as a result of trauma or ear injury. In more severe situations, the infection may spread to the cartilage, changing the ear’s shape. It may be referred to as “cauliflower ear.”
Perilymph fistula
A condition known as perilymph fistula occurs when fluid from the inner ear gets into the middle ear. Vertigo, nausea, and dizziness are some of the symptoms.
Pulsatile tinnitus
A rarer form of tinnitus in which you hear rhythmic sounds in time with your heartbeat. A shift in the blood flow around your head or neck is frequently the cause of this.
Ramsay Hunt Syndrome
Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which is brought on by the shingles virus, is characterised by hearing loss and paralysis of the face nerve.
Red Ears
Many things can cause your ears to turn red, including blushing, sunburns, infections, and more serious conditions.
Sensorineural hearing loss.
One of the most prevalent kinds of hearing loss, it usually develops with ageing. Hearing aids can be used to treat many cases, despite the fact that the change is largely permanent.
Sudden hearing loss.
This disorder, also known as sudden deafness, is characterised by an abrupt and frequently inexplicable loss of hearing, usually in one ear.
Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome.
Having SSCD indicates that your hearing and balance are compromised due to a hole or thinning of the ear bones.
Swimmer's Ear
This kind of ear infection targets the ear canal and outer ear. As the name suggests, swimmer’s ear can be brought on by water becoming trapped in the ear.
Tinnitus
People frequently experience an internal ringing or buzzing sound instead of hearing it from the outside, which is typically the result of an underlying medical condition.
Unilateral hearing loss
One ear is the only one affected by this kind of hearing loss. There are several causes for it, and wearing hearing aids can help.
Usher syndrome
Usher syndrome is a hereditary disorder that results in loss of both sight and hearing.
Vertigo
Dizziness and the impression that everything is spinning around you are known as vertigo, and it can even make you lose your balance.
Vestibular Neuritis.
An infection of the vestibular nerve in the inner ear that controls balance, resulting in vertigo and dizziness.
If you’re concerned about your ear health or notice any of these conditions or symptoms, see your doctor or call your local store to speak with one of our audiologists.