What is the meaning of otosclerosis?
Asked by: Dr. Carley Schulist III | Last update: November 22, 2025Score: 4.7/5 (35 votes)
Otosclerosis is a term derived from oto, meaning “of the ear,” and sclerosis, meaning “abnormal hardening of body tissue.” The condition is caused by abnormal bone remodeling in the middle ear. Bone remodeling is a lifelong process in which bone tissue renews itself by replacing old tissue with new.
What is the main cause of otosclerosis?
The exact cause of otosclerosis is unknown. It may be passed down through families. People who have otosclerosis have an abnormal extension of sponge-like bone growing in the middle ear cavity. This growth prevents the ear bones from vibrating normally in response to sound waves.
What is the best treatment for otosclerosis?
Finally, current data indicates that traditional stapedotomy remains the gold standard for the treatment of otosclerosis, while endoscopic cochlear implantation is a viable option for advanced mixed or sensorineural hearing loss cases [75,76].
What are the first symptoms of otosclerosis?
Check if you have otosclerosis
Symptoms of otosclerosis include: gradual hearing loss in 1 or both ears, often over several years. hearing ringing, buzzing or other noises in 1 or both ears (tinnitus) dizziness.
What is another name for otosclerosis?
The term otosclerosis is something of a misnomer: much of the clinical course is characterized by lucent rather than sclerotic bony changes, so the disease is also known as otospongiosis.
What is otosclerosis and how is it treated? With Mr Ananth Vijendren
Does otosclerosis get worse with age?
Age: It usually starts when you're young. You can develop otosclerosis between the ages of 10 and 45, but you're most likely to get it during your 20s. Symptoms usually are at their worst in your 30s.
How do doctors check Eustachian tubes?
They look at the opening of your Eustachian tube to see if it is functioning properly and check for signs of swelling or inflammation. Tympanometry test: This test uses a probe placed into your ear that gently changes the pressure against your eardrum.
What happens if otosclerosis is left untreated?
Otosclerosis is a disorder in which abnormal bone forms around the stapes — a tiny bone within your inner ear (cochlea). This abnormal bone growth prevents the stapes from vibrating properly, causing a decrease in hearing, sometimes in both ears. If left untreated, the hearing loss slowly worsens over time.
How do you know if your ear cartilage is damaged?
Common signs of ear damage include: Bleeding on the outside or inside of your ear. Blood pooling beneath the skin of your outer ear, making the area look puffy and darker in color. Bruising, redness, or swelling.
How to stop vibration in the ear?
Stopping a vibrating sensation in the ear typically involves addressing the underlying cause. If the vibrating is due to tinnitus, then white noise devices may also help.
Is otosclerosis a disability?
Otosclerosis is contemplated by Diagnostic Code 6202, which provides that the disability should be rated on the basis of hearing impairment. 38 C.F.R. § 4.87. The Rating Schedule provides rating tables for the evaluation of hearing impairment.
How much does a stapedectomy cost?
The cost of stapedectomy surgery without insurance averages from $7,000 to $15,000. Learn more about this surgery, insurance and financing for this procedure now. A stapedectomy is a surgical procedure to remove innermost bone, called the stapes, from the middle ear to help improve the patient's hearing.
What are the symptoms of nerve damage in the ear?
- mild to severe hearing loss.
- sounds fading in and out.
- difficulty understanding spoken words (speech perception)
- normal hearing but with poor speech perception.
- worsened speech perception in noisy environments.
Can otosclerosis be cured without surgery?
Mild otosclerosis can be treated with a hearing aid that amplifies sound, but surgery is often required. In a procedure known as a stapedectomy, a surgeon inserts a prosthetic device into the middle ear to bypass the abnormal bone and permit sound waves to travel to the inner ear and restore hearing.
Is stapedectomy a major surgery?
Is stapedectomy a major surgery? Generally speaking, a major surgery is an operation when you need general anesthesia and breathing support because you can't breathe on your own. Given those parameters, stapedectomy isn't a major surgery.
How to tell if you're going deaf?
- difficulty hearing other people clearly and misunderstanding what they say, especially in noisy places.
- asking people to repeat themselves.
- listening to music or watching TV with the volume higher than other people need.
- difficulty hearing on the phone.
- finding it hard to keep up with a conversation.
What helps cartilage heal faster?
Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Your doctor may recommend the RICE regimen—rest, ice, compression, and elevation—to treat a knee cartilage injury.
What does Winkler's disease look like?
Chondrodermatitis nodularis helicis — or CNH for short — is a condition that affects your outer ear. You'll see inflammation and a small hard bump on the ear cartilage. It's also called Winkler's disease, named after the dermatologist who first described it in 1915.
Should you put cotton wool in your ear for an ear infection?
make sure your child has had all their childhood vaccinations. keep your child away from smoky environments. try not to give your child a dummy after they're 6 months old. do not stick cotton wool buds or your fingers in your ears.
How bad does otosclerosis get?
In otosclerosis, irregular bone remodeling interferes with sound's ability to travel through your ear. People with otosclerosis can develop mild to severe hearing impairment. The condition rarely results in total deafness. It typically affects both ears, but one ear is usually worse than the other.
What autoimmune disease causes otosclerosis?
Otosclerosis is an autoimmune-inflammatory disorder. Its etiopathogenesis includes measles virus infection, anti-collagen autoimmunity, inflammation, bone loss, organotropism, hormonal and metabolic factors.
What mimics otosclerosis?
Enlarged vestibular aqueduct abnormality can present in adulthood and mimic other more common pathology such as otosclerosis.
How to massage an eustachian tube to drain?
Use your finger to find a bony bump behind your ear lobe. Slide your finger down until you feel a groove between your earlobe and jaw. Using firm, steady pressure, trace the groove all the way down your neck to the collarbone. Repeat this process three times on each side of your head, three times a day.
What are the red flags for Eustachian tube dysfunction?
The main symptom is muffled or dull hearing, often described as being underwater or ears with cotton wool. Ear pain can be due to a pressure difference causing the drum to over stretch. Other symptoms include fullness in the ear (pressure), tinnitus (ringing), dizziness, popping or clicking noises.
What is the new treatment for Eustachian tube dysfunction?
Improved outcomes: In addition to draining fluid and equalizing the pressure in the eustachian tube, using a balloon to dilate the passageway can also help address the underlying structural problem. Studies show the procedure causes cellular changes that allow the connective tissues to remodel.