Middle-aged women face heightened risk of otosclerosis, abnormal bone growth of the middle ear that can lead to hearing loss, doctors said.
Otosclerosis is a condition caused by abnormal growth of sponge-like bone in the middle ear, which can harden and prevent the regular vibration of the ear bones required to transmit soundwaves to the brain, said Chen Hou-kuang (陳厚匡) of Asia University Hospital’s otolaryngology department.
A 46-year-old Taichung woman noticed that her hearing had been slowly deteriorating for several years, Chen said.
Photo: Chen Chien-chih, Taipei Times
She described a gradual decline in the hearing in her left ear coupled with tinnitus because she would need higher volumes to hear the television, could not hear what family members were talking about and her voice had gotten louder in arguments with her husband, Chen said.
Her family recognized something was wrong and took her to see a doctor, with a scan showing that her eardrum was not damaged and there was no sign of infection.
Despite the lack of a cause being determined, the hearing in her left ear had deteriorated to “moderate hearing loss,” he said.
Doctors arranged a CT scan and ruled out an inner ear infection or a tumor, finding that her hearing loss was caused by hindered transmission of soundwaves to the inner ear, rather than damage to the nerve pathways to the brain, he added.
She was diagnosed with otosclerosis and an operation restored her hearing, he said.
The condition is common in middle-aged women and usually develops slowly, with symptoms difficult to spot in the early stages, Chen said.
It is only when the condition worsens that hearing loss is noticed, so it is often mistaken as a sign of old age and the best time for treatment is often missed, he added.
Otosclerosis can be treated and hearing restored by inserting a synthetic bone implant to reconstruct the stapes bone of the middle ear, an operation that has a success rate of up to 80 percent for experienced surgeons, Chen said.
People who have mild hearing loss or who are not able to undergo the operation can consider hearing devices if needed, he said, adding that they should have regular hearing checks to track the progress of the condition.
If left untreated, otosclerosis can spread to the cochlea, causing more serious hearing loss and increasing the risk of the condition spreading to the other ear, he said.
A medical professional should be consulted any time there are perceived changes in hearing, he added.
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