Ear Infections
Basic Ear Anatomy
The ear receives sound information, converts it to nerve impulses, and routes it to the brain’s auditory processing centers. Sound enters the outer ear causing the eardrum to vibrate. The vibration is transmitted through the middle ear to the cochlea. Cochlear sensors code and transmit the sound information to the brain where technically actual hearing takes place. Hearing loss occurs when the sound transmission system is broken. Pembroke Pines ear doctor Robert Contrucci, M.D., D.O. is ready to assist you to diagnose and treat your potential ear infection.
Potential Problems Causing Infection
The outer ear is where earwax is produced. Bacteria and fungi may invade this area and cause infection. (Earwax impaction may occur at this point as well.) The middle ear is normally aerated via the Eustachian tube, its entrance lying in the back of the nasal cavity. It allows air into the middle ear about once in five swallows, permitting the middle ear to have the same pressure inside the ear as that on the outside of the eardrum.
When the Eustachian tube is compromised by sore throat, cold, etc., the middle ear is essentially sealed off. The blood stream, just as with the lungs, absorbs the air, creating a vacuum in that middle ear space. Blood’s serum seeps into this space creating what appears to be “water” or fluidbehind the eardrum. Infection may be involved, clouding the serous fluid or bringing pus into the space. That infectious process may cross the border between middle ear and cochlea, bringing the infectious process into more central tissues. Itching, pain, and runny ears may result. This may even happen on a recurring basis.
The ENT Doctor
The otolaryngologist is an “ear, nose, and throat doctor.” If a patient has ear pain, runny ear, or hearing loss, the otolaryngologist inspects the ear canal and eardrum with an otoscope to visually identify active disease. For hearing loss accompanying ear disease, he is adept at using radiology, blood chemistry, etc. to identify and treat specific disease processes. He may use audiology assistance to define hearing loss and arrive at appropriate amplification choices. Residents of Pembroke Pines, Florida, rely on the expertise of otolaryngologist Dr. Robert Contrucci for evaluation of ear infections, hearing loss, and related ENT problems.Contact us for more information – (954)
437-5333.