Hearing Loss (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
Medical Treatment
- If a foreign body is found in the ear canal, the doctor will try to take it out.
-
It can be removed by flushing the canal with water, using suction, or using forceps.
- Cerumen (earwax) in the canal is removed by flushing the canal or scooping out the wax with special instruments.
- If the wax is too hard to remove, the doctor may prescribe softening drops (also available over-the-counter) and have you return in a week to try to remove it again.
-
- If infection is found, antibiotics will most likely be prescribed. Middle ear infections usually require pills, while infections of the ear canal can usually be treated with eardrops.
- If the eardrum is perforated from an injury, no medicines will usually be prescribed. A follow-up visit with the same doctor or an ear, nose, and throat specialist (otolaryngologist or ENT) will be suggested. Eardrum perforation from an infection is usually treated with antibiotics.
- If a problem is suspected with the bones of the middle ear or nerves, a referral will likely be made to a specialist such as an ear, nose, and throat specialist.
- If the cause of the hearing loss is due to medications, the medication will be stopped or changed.
- If there is a tumor, such as an acoustic neuroma, a referral to a neurosurgeon (a surgeon specializing in brain, spinal cord, or nerve surgery) or ear, nose, and throat specialist will be made.
- If associated symptoms are troublesome (tinnitus, vertigo), anti-anxiety or motion sickness medication may be prescribed.
- If Ménière disease is the suspected cause, antihistamines or nicotinic acid can sometimes be helpful. A low-salt diet may also be suggested.
- Most causes of hearing loss do not require admission to the hospital.
Next: Next Steps »
Women's Health
Find out what women really need.
From WebMD
Family Health Resources
- An Embarrassing Condition for Many Kids
- 5 Mistakes Parents Make With Tweens and Teens
- Is Your Baby a "Happy Spitter"?
Featured Centers
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Also on eMedicineHealth
Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine
Inner Ear, Sudden Hearing Loss »
Definitions of sudden hearing loss have been based on severity, time course, audiometric criteria, and frequency spectrum of the loss.

