What are the problems of the inner ear?
The inner ear’s 16,000 sound-sensitive hair cells enable you to hear every note of Beethoven’s ninth symphony while its equilibrium receptors support the movements of Olympic stars and the pirouettes of ballerinas. Accordingly, inner-ear problems affect hearing, balance or both.AgingProgressive hearing loss (presbycusis) is the most common form of inner-ear hearing loss, occurring in one-third of people over 65, according to Sue E. Huether, Ph.D., and Kathryn L. McCance, Ph.D., in their book “Understanding Pathophysiology.”Sudden Hearing LossSo-called “sudden hearing loss” involves the loss of hearing within hours or even minutes—something that may arise from rapid infectious processes; ototoxic agents; trauma; metabolic disturbances; or immunologic disorders, according to Joyce M. Black, Ph.D., Jane Hokanson Hawks and Annabelle M. Keene in their book “Medical-Surgical Nursing.”Congenital Hearing LossOften resulting in total deafness, congenital hearing loss is not uncommon, can be p
