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Otosclerosis
Medical Questions » Otosclerosis
| Name: Otosclerosis |
| Also known as: |
| A relatively common form of arthritis in the tiny bones (malleus, incus and stapes) in the middle ear that vibrate to transmit sounds from the ear drum to the hearing mechanism in the inner ear. Eventually affects
approximately one person in every 200 in old age. |
Causes of Otosclerosis
The middle ear bones become soft and enlarged which reduces their ability to transmit vibration, and thus sounds. More common in women, usually starts in the late teens or twenties, and its onset may be triggered by pregnancy. Significant tendency for it to pass from one generation to the next. |
Symptoms of Otosclerosis
Steadily worsening deafness and a constant ringing noise in the ears (tinnitus). |
Tests for Otosclerosis
Special tests on ear function used to make the diagnosis. |
Treatment for Otosclerosis
A hearing aid can be very effective, but a permanent operative cure in which the affected bones in the middle ear are replaced with Teflon substitutes is the treatment of choice.
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Complications of Otosclerosis of its treatment
Dizziness occurs in some patients. |
Likely Outcome of 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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