What are the conductive causes of hearing loss?
o Wax production
o Eardrum perforation
o Chronic otitis media with effusion
o Nasopharyngeal tumours blocking eustachian tube
o Otosclerosis
o Eustachian tube dysfunction
o Cholesteatoma
o Exostoses
Sensorineural causes of hearing loss
o Presbyacusis
o Idiopathic hearing loss
o Noise exposure
o Inflammatory diseases
o Ototoxicity from drugs (loop diuretics, gentamicin, chemotherapy)
o Acoustic tumours (vestibular schwannoma)
o Meniere’s disease
o Labyrinthitis
o Neurological conditions (stroke, multiple sclerosis, brain tumours)
o Infections (meningitis)
What is weber’s test?
Tuning fork in middle of patient’s forehead
o Conductive deafness = louder in affected ear
o Unilateral sensorineural deafness = louder in normal ear
o Symmetrical hearing loss = heard in middle
What is Rinne’s test?
o Normal sound louder at ear, air conduction is better than bone conduction, also in sensorineural deafness (POSITIVE)
o Abnormal sound louder on mastoid process, bone conduction better than air conduction (NEGATIVE)
What is presbycusis?
Age related hearing loss
Risk factors for presbycusis
Presentation of presbycusis
Investigations for presbycusis
Management of presbycusis
Prevention of presbycusis
Hearing protection should be worn in environments where there is exposure to loud noises for prolonged periods (woodworking, construction)
Presentation of impacted ear wax
Management of impacted ear wax
Management of foreign bodies in the ear
Cause of auditory exostosis (surfer’s ear)
Local bone hypertrophy from cold exposure
Presentation of auditory exostosis
Causes of sudden onset sensorineural hearing loss
Management of sudden onset sensorineural hearing loss
What is otosclerosis
Autosomal dominant,
replacement of normal bone by vascular spongy bone
Presentation of otosclerosis
Management of otosclerosis
Risk factors for Eustachian tube dysfunction
Presentation of eustachian tube dysfunction
Management of eustachian tube dysfunction
Secondary causes of tinnitus
o Impacted ear wax
o Ear infection
o Meniere’s disease
o Noise exposure
o Medications = loop diuretics, gentamicin, chemotherapy drugs (cisplatin)
o Acoustic neuroma
o Multiple sclerosis
o Depression
o Anaemia
o Diabetes
o Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
o Hyperlipidaemia