Ear Conditions

North Hampshire ENT can assess, diagnose and treat the following conditions:

Hearing Loss & Deafness

Hearing loss can affect people at any age. One in six adults may have some degree of hearing loss increasing to three in four over the age of 75. Younger children can also be affected, sometimes due to fluid in the middle ear (glue ear) or ear infections. Read more about treatment options.

Ear Infections

The most common types of ear infection are otitis media (infection of the middle ear), and otitis externa (also known as an outer ear infection or swimmer's ear). Rarely, infection of the inner ear can cause dizziness. Read more about treatment options.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus means a noise in the ear. Often this is harmless but irritating and reassurance is all that is required. An audiogram may be necessary to assess the hearing level as tinnitus may be associated with hearing loss. Read more about treatment options.

Diziness & Vertigo

Dizziness can arise in many different conditions but rotational vertigo usually indicates an inner ear problem. The symptoms can be confusing but once a diagnosis is made treatment will usually cure the condition. Read more about treatment options.

Perforation of the Ear Drum

A hole in the ear drum (perforation) may be caused by an infection or injury to the ear; usually a perforation will heal on its own but sometimes it can cause recurrent infections and so need surgical repair. Read more about treatment options.

Middle Ear & Mastoid Surgery

Mastoid surgery may be needed to remove a skin lined pocket (cholesteatoma) from the mastoid bone behind the ear. These sometimes originate from the ear drum and can cause extensive damage to the ear if left untreated. The surgery may create a small cavity or may be carried out as a ‘combined approach tympanoplasty’ to preserve the normal anatomy of the ear. REad more about treatment options.

Hearing Surgery

Surgery is sometimes possible to improve the hearing. Usually this is when there is a problem with the small bones (ossicles) in the middle ear which may be partially removed (stapedectomy) or replaced. Read more about treatment options.

Hearing Aids

Hearing aid technology contimues to advance and can help more and more people in a less conspicuous way. They are often the first choice in treatimg a more permanent type of hearing loss. Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA) may be appropriate if there are middle ear problems or for the treatment of single sided deafness. Read more about treatment options.

Mastoid Reconstruction & Obliteration

After ‘open cavity’ or canal wall down surgery for cholesteatoma the resulting cavity can accumulate wax over the years which may need cleaning out. Read more about treatment options.

Auditory Implants

Cochlear implants are indicated for people whose hearing levels are too poor for conventional hearing aids to be beneficial. In these patients a cochlear implant would be able to restore hearing to the implanted ear.