Hearing and balance
Ear
The ear picks up sound and, in its innermost part, keeps you balanced. Many cases of dizziness and vertigo start here.
Conditions
- Middle ear infection (otitis media) A middle ear infection is inflammation behind the eardrum, very common in children. Learn about acute infection and glue ear, treatment and when to seek urgent help.
- Swimmer's ear: symptoms and treatment Swimmer's ear (otitis externa) is an infection of the skin lining the ear canal. Learn the symptoms, how it is treated and when to seek urgent help.
- Earwax blockage Coming soon
- Hearing loss Coming soon
- Tinnitus Coming soon
- Eustachian tube dysfunction (blocked ears) Eustachian tube dysfunction makes your ears feel blocked, full or popping. Learn the causes, how it is treated and when to seek help.
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) BPPV is the most common cause of vertigo: brief spinning when you change position. It is treated in clinic with simple repositioning manoeuvres.
- Ménière’s disease Coming soon
- Vestibular migraine: dizziness and migraine Vestibular migraine causes attacks of dizziness or vertigo in people with migraine, with or without headache. Learn how it is diagnosed and treated.
- TMJ disorder (temporomandibular disorder) A TMJ disorder causes jaw pain, clicking and, often, ear pain or tinnitus without infection. Learn the causes, treatment and when to seek advice.
Diagnostic tests
- Otoscopy Coming soon
- Pure-tone audiometry (hearing test) Pure-tone audiometry measures how well you hear with a simple, painless test. It takes 5 to 10 minutes, is done in a booth and needs no special preparation.
- Tympanometry (middle ear test) Tympanometry tests how your eardrum and middle ear are working. It is quick and painless, and shows fluid or pressure problems behind the eardrum.
- Videonystagmography and vHIT Coming soon
Surgical procedures
- Ear tubes (grommets) Coming soon
- Myringoplasty Coming soon
- Tympanoplasty Coming soon
- Cochlear implant Coming soon
Care and advice
- Brandt-Daroff exercises Brandt-Daroff exercises for positional vertigo (BPPV): how to do them at home, the classic routine, what is normal and when to stop and seek advice.
- Preventing vestibular migraine attacks How to prevent vestibular migraine attacks with simple habits: sleep, meals, exercise and a trigger diary. What to do and when to seek advice.
- Keeping your ears dry: how to protect them How to keep water out of your ear when showering or bathing with an ear infection, grommets or an ear in treatment. Simple steps, mistakes and when to seek advice.
- How to unblock your ears: simple exercises How to unblock your ears with simple exercises: swallowing, yawning, chewing gum and nasal balloon autoinflation. Routine, common mistakes and when to stop.
- TMJ self-care: jaw exercises and advice How to look after your TMJ at home: soft diet, heat, gentle massage, jaw exercises and habits to relax your jaw. Common mistakes and when to seek advice.
- Child hearing and speech: warning signs How to tell whether your child hears well: hearing and speech milestones by age, warning signs, what to do if you suspect hearing loss and how to help at home.
- Ear hygiene and cotton buds Coming soon
- Protecting your hearing from noise Coming soon