Eardrum perforations are exceptionally common. When they don’t heal on their own, drain, or cause hearing loss a surgical procedure is often required to fix the eardrum. Often this can be performed with a new technique and small camera that eliminates the need for any external incision or downtime from work or school.

Cholesteatomas are skin cysts that become trapped behind the eardrum. They cause drainage and hearing loss. Over long periods of time they can often erode the hearing bones and cause worsening of hearing loss.

Sometimes the hearing bones can stiffen over time, causing hearing loss because the vibrations of sound aren’t efficiently conducted to the hearing nerve.

Sometimes patients can develop small holes in the lining of bone between the ear and the brain. While the cause is often unknown, we believe that small amounts of increased pressure sustained over years can gradually cause the bone to wear down. Sometimes portions of the brain can protrude into the ear with the spinal fluid leak, which we call an encephalocele.

Acoustic neuromas are benign tumors that arise from the nerves that connect the ear to the brain stem. They are often found in patients with hearing loss in one ear. They most commonly come from the balance nerves and are therefore also known as vestibular schwannomas. These tumors are commonly observed and no treatment is needed unless they grow, cause significant symptoms, or are causing brain compression. If treatment is needed, both surgery and radiation are possible options, depending on the specific tumor.

In addition to acoustic tumors, a variety of other tumors can form at the junction between the ear and the brain. These can cause different symptoms, which may include hearing loss, dizziness, facial weakness, facial numbness, and voice changes. This often depends on the type of tumor, the size of the tumor, and the structures it is compressing. Examples of these tumors and growths include: meningiomas, epidermoid tumors, gliomas, juvenile xanthogranulomas, hemangiopericytomas, endolymphatic sac tumors, and cholesterol granulomas.

Vertigo is the perception of motion that is not occurring. There are a variety of causes of vertigo. Identifying the cause of vertigo is the most important step as it greatly impacts the treatment. When vertigo comes from the inner ear an otologist can help with treatment and management. Common examples of this include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere’s disease, and vestibular neuronitis. When it is not associated with the ear often a neurologist is needed for treatment and management. Common reasons for this can include central vertigo, stroke, or migraine-associated vertigo.

One specific cause of vertigo is superior semicircular canal dehiscence. Some patients can have the bone over their balance organs get very thin over time. This can cause specific symptoms like hearing their own heartbeat, hearing loss, and significant dizziness with pressure changes. Patients can also have strange sensations like “hearing their eyes move.”