General Information About Otosclerosis
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is the abnormal and spongy ossification (calcification) at the base of the stapes bone, the last of the 3 tiny bones in the middle ear responsible for transmitting sound waves to the inner ear. This calcification prevents the ossicle from vibrating, causing it to become fixed.
No. The term calcification can be misleading. Otosclerosis is not like age-related osteoarthritis in the knee. Conversely, it is a genetic and familial disease that mostly begins in young adults between the ages of 20-40.
Yes. In women carrying the otosclerosis gene, the intense hormonal changes during pregnancy trigger or accelerate the ossification process. For many female patients, hearing loss becomes distinctly apparent immediately following pregnancy.
Because the fixed bone cannot transmit sound, the patient struggles to hear external sounds (television, conversation) (Conductive Hearing Loss). The patient cannot understand people speaking softly, but due to the feeling of ear blockage, they hear their own voice very loudly (echoing) inside their head. In most patients, the hearing loss is accompanied by a severe and persistent Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears) resembling the howling of wind.
During an external ear examination, the eardrum appears entirely normal and clean. The diagnosis is confirmed through the typical loss graphs on the patient's Audiometry (Hearing) test and the absence of ossicular reflexes on the Tympanometry (Middle Ear Pressure) test.
It is not a calcification that can be dissolved with medication. The patient may be prescribed a hearing aid, or the more comfortable option of Stapedectomy (Surgery) is performed.
The surgery is conducted using a microscope/endoscope directly through the ear canal without any external incision to the auricle. The calcified stapes bone is vaporized with a Laser (or removed by cutting with micro-instruments). In its place, a tiny piston (prosthesis) made of teflon or titanium is suspended to restore vibration. The procedure takes about 45 minutes, and the patient begins to hear immediately while still on the operating table.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
