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Dizziness
If you spin around and around, you will get dizzy, which is completely normal. But if you get dizzy when
you are getting up, lying down, sitting in a chair, or remaining still, that is not normal, and dizziness
is a problem.
The symptoms of dizziness are more common than you might think. Nearly 40 percent of adults seek medical help for
dizziness; it is the second most common health complaint behind lower back pain. |
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Dizziness can feel different
to each person. Some people feel lightheaded or woozy, while others feel as though they are spinning, or the world is
spinning around them (this type of dizziness is called "vertigo"). Others have no unusual sensation at all,
but lose their balance when they stand or try to walk. Sometimes dizziness comes in spells, with little or no dizziness
between spells. Sometimes it comes on abruptly and gradually gets better. Sometimes it’s barely noticeable at
first and keeps getting worse. Dizziness can get so bad it makes you feel seasick, with nausea and
vomiting.
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Hearing Loss
Hearing is measured in decibels (dB). A hearing level of 0 to 25 dB is considered normal hearing for conversational
purposes.
Hearing loss can be a result of a number of different conditions including: Meniere’s
disease, otosclerosis, cholesteatoma, or a tumor growth. Hearing loss can be associated with one of the following conditions: loud
noise exposure, genetic causes, the aging process, or it may not be a direct result of one individual event. Only your
physician, through a complete hearing evaluation, will be able to definitely tell what the exact cause may be.
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Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the perception or sensation of sound when no external sound is present. Tinnitus can occur in either one
or both ears or may be more localized “in the head”.
It may be described as ringing, buzzing, hissing, roaring, crickets, clicking, fluttering, or any number of other
sounds, alone or in combination. It can be intermittent, continuous, or pulsatile and can fluctuate in character and
intensity. Tinnitus may or may not be associated with a hearing impairment. It is important to remember that tinnitus is
usually a symptom of other underlying pathology. The physicians at the Ear Institute of Texas will evaluate tinnitus as
well as address the cause of your symptoms.
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Pressure/Fullness
Pressure or fullness in the ear is termed "aural fullness", which can be due to several different problems.
The most obvious possibilities are that fluid has collected in the middle ear, suggesting an ear infection and/or
eustachian tube dysfunction is developing. The eustachian tubes are normally closed, but they can "pop" open
as needed to ventilate your middle-ear spaces, such as when flying. Problems may result if the tubes do not function
properly.
Increased inner ear fluid pressure (hydrops) and hearing loss can cause "aural fullness". Another common
cause of "aural fullness" may include temporomandibular joint inflammation (TMJ), hearing loss, giving the
"referred" sensation of fullness. The sensation is called referred because the problem in one region is
misinterpreted by the brain as coming from a different region. In the case of aural fullness, the sensation may be
referred from the nasopharynx (the area behind the nasal cavity and above the soft palate). An infection or tumor in the
nasopharynx could cause a referred sense of fullness in the ear. The physicians at the Ear Institute of Texas work
closely with audiologists. Audiologic testing helps determine whether your hearing is normal, decreased, or whether you
have fluid behind your ear drum and whether your eustachian tubes are working appropriately. Our physicians identify
and address the cause of the pressure, not just the symptoms.
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Facial Nerve Weakness
Disorders of the facial nerve, including weakness, twitching, paralysis, and in some cases associated hearing loss,
develop from a variety of causes. In most cases these are idiopathic, meaning that the cause remains unknown. Twitching,
weakness, and paralysis of the face are symptoms of a disorder involving the facial nerve. Facial nerve disorders are,
in most cases, accompanied by a hearing impairment. This impairment may or may not be related to the facial nerve problems. The underlying causes of these symptoms can range from an infection,
injury, circulatory disturbance, or tumors, and an evaluation by your physician is needed to determine the exact cause.
The neurotologists at Ear Institute of Texas have advanced training and long experience in managing the full range of facial nerve disorders.
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