BAHA Implant
Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) is a device surgically implanted to help people suffering from a loss of hearing. Most conventional hearing aids transmit sound through air conduction. The BAHA device is suitable for conductive or mild-moderate mixed hearing loss.

Problems with hearing in the middle or outer ears can be helped with the BAHA device. The sound waves received by the BAHA device bypass the middle ear and get delivered straight to the functioning cochlea in both ears.

A BAHA device comprises of two parts:
a) The processor 
b) A fixture which is surgically implanted behind the ear in the bone.

The implant is embedded in the bone. The processor, which remains outside, is attached to the implant. There is a microphone on the processor that picks up sounds. The sounds are passed on to the implant. The implant vibrates which triggers the Cochlear. You can consider wearing a BAHA implant if other conventional hearing aids do not work for you. BAHA implants are also given to people with collapsed or irritated ear canals.

Cochlear Implant Surgery

A complex, small electronic device that helps hearing in people with severe hearing loss or deafness is used in the Cochlear Implant Surgery. The cochlear implant comprises of an external piece behind the ear and another piece that is surgically implanted under the skin. A cochlear implant comprises of four parts:
1. A microphone which picks up sounds from the surroundings
2. A speech processor which chooses and arranges the sounds the microphone picks up
3. A receiver/stimulator and transmitter that picks up signals from the speech processor and changes them into electric impulses
4. An electrode ray, a bunch of electrodes, receives impulses the stimulator sends and transmits them to different areas of the auditory nerves.
The implant does not cure deafness; it only gives you a useful portrayal of sounds in the environment and considerable aid in understanding speech.

The surgery is done in the following way:
i. The area around the site of the implant is shaved or cleaned
ii. The patient's vital signs are monitored through cables, patches and monitors attached to him or her
iii. General anaesthesia is administered through IV or through a face mask
iv. After the device is implanted, the patient is taken to the recovery room for the anaesthesia effect to lessen.

BAHA Implant and Cochlear Implant Surgery

Hearing is an essential process in everyone's life. Be it your social life or professional activities, hearing influences every aspect of your life. You can thus, never ignore the health of your ears to enjoy a healthy life. But there are several hindrances to obstruct effective hearing. One of the problems is the accumulation of a natural substance called cerumen produced by the glands present in the ear canal. The accumulated cerumen is medically referred to as Earwax. Over production of cerumen is mainly triggered by the deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acids, zinc and magnesium.

The basic function of the wax is to protect the ear canal from invasion by foreign particles like bacteria and dust particles. This is necessary for the smooth functioning of the ear and its protection from invaders. However, it becomes an irritating problem when the earwax is produced in excess. The problem aggravates when the ear canal is blocked due to accumulation of earwax. In such cases, we use certain objects such as bobby pins, Q-tips or cotton swabs to clean the accumulated earwax from the ear canal. What we do not realise is that pricking the wax using these objects can sometime cause significant damage to the ear. These objects push the wax deep inside the canal, leading to blockage.

The most common symptoms of excessive earwax are as follows:

Earache
Developing a fullness feeling in the ears
Loss of hearing on temporary basis
Noises inside the ear
Itching
Here are the preventive measures to remove ear wax blockage:

In order to prevent blockage of ear wax, try keeping it moist by frequently running water into your ear while taking a bath. This will prevent the ear wax from getting dried up so that it doesn t get blocked in the ear canal. Make sure, you drain the water from the ear after running it for some time.
Don t use any pointed objects inside the ears as it can cause ear infection while pushing the wax deeper.
Avoid inserting cotton swabs or ear buds into the ear canal. You can use them to remove exposed ear wax at the ear opening, but don t push them deep inside the ear canal. It can push the excess ear wax inside the ear canal, thereby resulting in to an impact.
Don t use candle ear wax remover. Ear candles are another method to remove ear wax, but it can be really dangerous as you need to hold the lighted candle very close to your ear. It can even burn your ear.
Don t use cold water or a strong jet to drain out the excess ear wax. Strong jet can lead to the damage of the ear drum while cold water may result into dizziness.
Avoid using any other method to remove ear wax at home, such as suction.
Don t use any type of acidic liquid in order to soften the ear wax.
Omega 3 fatty acids are good for mitigating the problem of ear wax. So, include walnuts, avocados, salmon, albacore and ground flax seed in your diet.
Consult a doctor if the problem persists even after using home remedies.

 Ear Wax - How To Get Rid It?

Ear aches are a very painful condition, which tends to affect mostly children. However, adults can be affected by ear aches as well, which can disrupt their routines and be quite painful. Let's have a look at some of the aspects of ear aches in adults.

Causes of ar aches in adults
There are many causes for ear aches in adults and it may vary from one person to another. However some general causes of ear aches in adults are listed below:

    Infections within the body: If you have a throat infection or cold, it could trigger an ear ache as a side effect. Treating the underlying problems will, thus reduce the ear ache or it will go on its own when the symptoms of the cold subside. 
    Ear canal injury: Adults are most often guilty of putting in sharp objects to clean their ear canal, which may result in an injury and also lead to infections. These injuries can also be infected and cause fluid discharge and ear aches.
    Blockages caused by the regular use of ear buds: Using ear buds or other sharp objects to clean the ear will only result in pushing the ear wax further into the ear. This will result in blockages of the ear canal and cause ear aches.
    Dental problems: Certain dental problems, such as wisdom tooth growth can result in problems. Even gum disorders have been known to create ear aches in adults.
    Jaw pain and facial pain: Jaw pain and even facial nerve pain has been known to affect ears and cause aches as well.

Symptoms that may accompany ear aches
Depending on what the causes of the ear aches are, the symptoms may vary. Still, let's have a look at some of the known common symptoms of ear aches in adults:

    Irritability and lack of focus: Ear aches may initially manifest as a headache and make the person irritable.
    Poor sleep: Fluids may build up within the body and thus cause issues while sleeping as the fluids may shift from one area to another.
    Ear drainage: If in case fluids build up, they may drain from your ear, which could vary anywhere within yellow to dark brown colour. This may even indicate that your eardrum is ruptured.
    Hearing problems: Fluid buildup or other underlying causes may also cause hearing difficulties.
    Fever: Sometimes, fever may run as high as 104 degree C due the very infections, which may be causing the ear ache.

Whatever may be the cause, if you have ear aches for sustained periods without underlying reasons, you should visit your doctor immediately to get it checked out, so that appropriate treatment can start quickly.


Ear Ache in Adults

Our ears are small in size, but  big  in the work they do. Not only do they help us hear, but also help us maintain our body s balance. They thus help us stand, walk, drive you just name it.

Ears are also much bigger in size than they actually are. The part of the ear that we see on our head is only the external ear, there is a middle ear and an inner ear too, silently carrying out complex functions related to hearing and balance. The middle ear that lies behind your ear drum is the seat of balance. And this part is hit hard at the time of an ear infection.

Ear infections cause the Eustachian tubes   small tubes that connect the middle ear to the back of your throat   to become swollen and blocked due to excess mucus. As a result of this, fluid builds up and inflammation takes root in the middle ear, thereby causing pain.

Ear infections can be acute or chronic. Acute infections clear up in a few days, but chronic ones reoccur frequently. If not managed, chronic ear infections can cause permanent damage to the middle and inner ear.

Causes of Eustachian tube blockage are as follows:

Allergies
Sinus infection
Cold
Extreme production of mucus
Smoking
Infected adenoid, which is a tissue near your tonsils that traps harmful bacteria and viruses
There are a few risk factors associated with ear infections. It can be said that young children are more susceptible to these infections. This is because their Eustachian tubes are short and narrow. It has also been seen that infants who are bottle-fed have a higher incidence of ear infections than breastfed babies.

Other risk factors are:

Changes in altitude
Changes in climate
Exposure to tobacco smoke
Use of pacifiers
Symptoms of ear infections:

Pain or discomfort inside the ear
A prolonged feeling of pressure inside the ear
Pus-like ear drainage
Hearing loss
What is also important to know is that the symptoms of an ear infection come and go. 

Symptoms can also occur in one or both ears. Chronic ear infection symptoms can be less noticeable than those of acute ear infections.

Hence, fever and ear ache should spur you to see a doctor. You should be extremely careful with babies younger than six months who have fever or ear infection symptoms.

Your doctor will diagnose an ear infection by checking if there is a draining of fluid from the middle ear, perforation in the eardrum or a collapsed eardrum.

Sometimes, ear infections can lead to the following serious complications:

Hearing loss
Speech or language delay in children
An infection in a skull bone called mastoiditis
Meningitis
Ruptured ear drum

Causes And Symptoms Of Ear Infections

What are the causes and symptoms of ear discharge?

Ear discharge is the phenomenon of fluids being expelled from the ear. This condition is also known as otorrhea. 

The kinds of fluids that can be discharged from the ear range from blood to pus and other forms of bodily secretions. It is caused by a number of factors, which determine the exact nature of the condition and the diagnosis for treatment. 

What are the causes of ear discharge?
Some forms of ear discharge are natural, such as ear wax which is produced by the body as a form of defense against external particles that may enter the ears. Other forms are unnatural and result from anomalies in the health system. 
The causes of these include the following.

Infections: This is the most common cause of ear discharge and occurs when bacteria and viruses infect the inside of the ear and lead to the secretion of fluids, which builds up in the middle ear or at the eardrum.

Swimmer's ear: This condition is also known as otitis externa and is caused by staying in the water for prolonged periods. It results from excessive exposure to moisture that makes the walls of the ear canal to breakdown allowing bacteria and fungi to enter and infect the ear.

- Trauma: Excess pressure on the eardrum can cause it to rupture and discharge fluids. This happens due to a number of reasons such as exposure to loud explosive sounds or pressure from flying in aircraft and scuba diving.

- Skull injury: Damage to the bones behind the ear as a result of an injury can also lead to ear discharge due to infection.

-Tonsillitis: Inflammation of tonsils may cause pain or a repeated infection in the ear leading to fluid discharge.

What are the symptoms associated with ear discharge?
Some of the symptoms of otorrhea are as follows:
- Abnormal and unusual secretion of fluids from the ear
- Swelling of the ear
- Partial or complete loss of hearing
- Pain and throbbing in the ear
- Accompanying signs such as fever and migraine

Diagnosis and treatment of the problem depend on the exact cause and nature of the condition, which also determines treatment and recovery time.



Why Do You Get an EAR Discharge?

Remember how Shrek literally pulled out a candle from his ear for the dinner table? Ever tried doing it yourself? Well, the stuff in your ears may be called wax, but it can t really be used to make a candle. However, it certainly can signify a lot about your health. Though the idea of discussing earwax is rather disgusting, it actually plays a pivotal role in keeping your ears healthy and functioning. Earwax protects your eardrums by barring the entry of insects, fungi, bacteria, dust and bacteria. In clinical terms, earwax is also known as cerumen. 

Studies indicate that children typically produce more earwax than adults. The earwax in your ear is a combination of alcohol, shed layers of the ear, unsaturated and saturated long-chain fatty acids and squalene. In order to clean earwax, you should not insert objects too deep in your ear, instead, you can just wipe it off with a cotton swab.  The color and texture of the earwax removed can actually indicate your overall health condition, stress level, genetic ancestry, etc.

Know what your earwax color says about your health 
Pale yellow to yellow earwax: It is the most common type of earwax and indicates overall good health. Children typically produce soft, pale yellow earwax and in case of adults, the color should remain the same, but the texture tends to be sticky. 
Wet vs. dry earwax: Wet and dry are the genetically determined earwax types, wherein, the 'wet type' is dominant and the 'dry type' is recessive. A research, conducted on Biologic variation in health and illness: race, age, and sex differences (1985) by Overfield, Theresa, established that dry-type earwax indicates East Asian and Native American ancestry, while wet-type indicates African and European. 
Thick, dark and black colored earwax: The production of earwax is also influenced by your stress level i.e. when you are stressed out, the glands that are responsible for the production of earwax work overtime and produce excess amount of earwax. As this earwax collects, it can turn thicker and darker thus, this type of earwax is a sign of increased stress level. And, black colored earwax indicates that it has been accumulating in your ears for quite some time and has not been cleaned. To avoid this, it is essential to clean your ears from time to time and in the right way. 
Dry, gray earwax: The gray color of the wax is an indication of dust build-up and must be cleaned properly at regular intervals. However, if your earwax suddenly seems dry and brittle, it could be the sign of a skin infection. Dry earwax accompanied by itchiness in the ear is usually a sign of eczema.
Bloody earwax: Blood in the earwax should never be ignored. This could be caused by an ear infection or can be a sign of ruptured eardrum and you must consult your doctor immediately. 
Thus it is important that you take proper care of your ears so as to ensure that your hearing is maintained and although earwax protects your ears against infections and problems, it must be cleaned from time to time. It is advisable that you get your ears cleaned professionally, in case you are suffering from certain ailments such as Diabetes.

Earwax - Did You Know Its Color Can Say A Lot About Your Health?

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