The vestibulocochlear nerve, also known as cranial nerve XIII, is a special sensory nerve with two nerve branches. The vestibular branch of the nerve aids in balance control, allowing the individual to ascertain their spatial positioning and...
Many people enjoy swimming because of the competition, cardio benefits and pure enjoyment of being in the water. Unfortunately, many swimmers experience sudden vertigo and feelings of nausea in mid-crawl. It's not uncommon, but it can be...
The auditory nerve is responsible for transmitting sounds from the sensory portions of the ear to the brain. Damage to the auditory nerve can lead to a form of deafness called sensorineural hearing loss. Because this form of hearing loss is caused...
Hibiclens is the brand name for the antiseptic chlorhexidine. Chlorhexidine is widely used as a topical antiseptic skin cleanser before surgery and as a hand washing solution for surgeons. Chlorhexidine is also used as part of a mouthwash for...
Tinnitus is a symptom for an underlying condition. It involves hearing sound when no external sound is present. The noise you hear can vary from high to low pitch and affect one or both ears. Usually, the noise is only heard by you, but it...
Tinnitus is a chronic condition that affects more than 23 million people in the United States, according to Phyllis Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing." It is characterized by perceptions of buzzing or ringing in your ears,...
The powerful drugs in chemotherapy destroy cancerous cells, but they also damage normal tissue. Some chemotherapy patients experience direct or indirect damage to the central nervous system and the cranial nerves, according to the American Cancer...
An acoustic neuroma--which is also referred to as vestibular schwannoma--is a tumor that grows within the nerves that connect the inner ear and the brain. The growth of this noncancerous tumor is believed to occur because of a genetic defect,...
Bilateral tinnitus is defined as ear noise heard in both ears. According to the Tinnitus Treatment Institute, there is no source for the ear sounds. The Mayo Clinic states tinnitus is not a condition but a symptom of another problem. Tinnitus is...
Although most babies have perfect hearing, 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 healthy babies in the United States are born with at least some hearing loss, according to BabyCenter.com. Even a slight hearing loss can negatively impact a baby's cognitive,...
Only the external portion of your ears are visible, but in total there are three sections--the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear--that work together to make sense of the sounds you hear. The ear is responsible not only for your ability to hear,...
Autoimmune inner ear disease may happen when the immune system within your body begins to attack the inner ear causing damage to your hearing, and possibly, the nerve that affects balance. This is caused by the fact that in an affected person,...
A cholesteatoma is an overgrowth of skin that occurs in the middle ear. The skin grows from the ear drum and accumulates in the ear behind the drum. The cholesteatoma can be either congenital or acquired. According to the Cleveland Clinic,...
Numerous supplements may help treat Meniere's disease. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Meniere's disease is a disorder of your inner ear that causes extreme dizziness or vertigo, ringing in your...
People who have poor hearing can improve their quality of life by being upfront about their problem. Let new people know that you have difficulty hearing, and face them when they are speaking so you can lip read. Minimize background noise in a...
Tinnitus is characterized by a buzzing, ringing or whistling sound in the ears or head. It is a common and often distressing condition that can make it difficult for the sufferer to concentrate or get to sleep. It is most often caused by nerve...
The greater auricular nerve serves the lower part of your ear, lower face and upper neck. You have one of these nerves and its branches on each side of your head. It is a sensory nerve and signals your brain to report what you feel in that area....
Allergies are commonly blamed for a variety of ear symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to intense earaches. Environmental allergies along with food allergies play an important role in the health of the upper respiratory system and the ears....
Temporary hearing loss can occur when we're exposed to sudden loud noises, such explosions or firearm blasts. The ear has an affinity for recovery, following what is known as the "temporary threshold shift," but sometimes hearing loss can be...
Hearing impairment is a common complaint, afflicting about 17 percent of all American adults, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Aging is an important risk factor and nearly half of people older than...
Auditory neuropathy, or auditory dysynchrony, is a complex, rare condition where auditory signals from the inner ear to the brain are not adequately transmitted. For all outward appearances, the person has normal hearing, or only mild hearing...
Nystagmus, the medical term for unintentional eye movements, has many causes. Unintentional eye movements are are usually bilateral--most often go from side to side--but can also go up and down or rotational, in a circle. Unintentional eye...
About three of every 1,000 people are born with hearing problems, according to KidsHealth, a part of the Nemours Foundation. However, adolescents with hearing problems may have acquired them in childhood and some adolescents are at risk for...
Vertigo is not the same as dizziness or lightheadedness. It is “a sensation of motion or spinning ... often described as dizziness,” according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. One cause of vertigo is ototoxicity—ear...
Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) is a disorder of the inner ear wherein the body’s own immune system attacks the inner ear, mistaking it to be bacteria, viruses or germs. The immune system can attack the whole body including the ear or...
Within your body, you have coenzyme Q10 in your mitochondria, which helps make the energy your cells need to function. Coenzyme Q10 is also an antioxidant, meaning it helps fight free radicals and may minimize the damage that these free radicals...
If you experience ringing or other noises in your ears, you may have tinnitus, a condition characterized by odd noises heard in the ears which may be caused by damage to the nerve endings. Tinnitus interferes with a person's ability to hear sounds...
Ringing in the ears is a type of tinnitus, an ear disorder in which the afflicted individual hears a constant sound in the ear that usually resembles a ringing or buzzing sound. According to the American Tinnitus Association, more than 50 million...
Hearing loss is, for many people, part of the aging process. This can be due to the nerves in the ear being damaged or from wear and tear on the parts of the ear that conduct sound. Some hearing loss can be corrected by using hearing aids, small...
