Otosclerosis: Meaning, Diagnosis and Overview

What is Otosclerosis?

Otosclerosis is a term derived from oto, meaning of the ear, and sclerosis, meaning abnormal hardening of body tissue. The condition is caused by abnormal bone growth in the middle ear.
The abnormal formation of bone within the middle ear stops the tiny bones (which amplify the sound waves) from vibrating. This causes a conductive hearing loss, because the sound waves cannot reach the inner ear.

Recovery Time

Otosclerosis gets worse without treatment. Surgery may restore at least some of your hearing. Pain and dizziness from the surgery usually go away within a few weeks.

Diagnosis

A doctor looks inside your ear, using an auriscope. This is the common instrument used to look inside your ears if you have earache. Hearing tests that measure hearing sensitivity (audiogram) and middle-ear sound conduction (tympanogram) and sometimes, imaging tests such as a CT scan are used for diagnosing this condition.

FAQs prepared by doctor

1. What is otosclerosis?
Otosclerosis is a term derived from oto, meaning of the ear, and sclerosis, meaning abnormal hardening of body tissue. The condition is caused by abnormal bone growth in the middle ear.

2. How does otosclerosis happens?
The abnormal formation of bone within the middle ear stops the tiny bones (which amplify the sound waves) from vibrating(stiffening of stapes bone inear). This causes a conductive hearing loss, because the sound waves can not reach the inner ear.

3. What shall one do if suffering from such condition?
One should avoid blowing nose, cold temperatures, changes in air pressure (air travel or scuba diving) and reduce risk of upper respiratory tract infections by avoiding sick people

4. When shall one consult a doctor?
When there is intense earache, hearing loss, dizziness or any balance problems, loss of taste
Infection, dizziness, pain, or a blood clot in the ear after surgery then one shall meet doctor.

5. Is Otosclerosis related to pregnancy
Otosclerosis can often first present during pregnancy. Many women notice that during the course of their pregnancy their hearing gets worse. This is due to the effect of the hormones on the otosclerotic bone.