The ear is the organ responsible for the perception of sounds and complex in structure. The normal functioning of the ears may be impaired due to the slightest injury or infectious disease. Lack of treatment can lead to hearing loss - complete or partial.
Structure
The ear consists of three parts:
- outdoor;
- average;
- internal.
The outer ear consists of a conch and a hearing aid, that is, everything that is on the surface of the head and is visible to the naked eye. The middle part is the auditory ossicles and the tympanic cavity. This part is located in the temporal bone. The inner part is a whole system of channels, where the conversion of the received sounds into nerve impulses to the brain takes place. Also, this system is responsible for human balance.
Classification
Ear injuries have an extensive classification. In particular, localization injuries are distinguished, that is, when the outer, middle or inner ear suffers.
Depending on the type of damage, there are:
- Blunt injuries, it can be bruises and other soft tissue injuries.
- Injuries, i.e. caused by sharp objects and accompanied by damage to the skin.
- Thermal, that is, obtained due to exposure to too high or low temperatures.
- Actinotrauma, that is, damage from radiation.
- Chemical - are formed after chemicals enter the ear.
- Acoustic received from the strongest sound vibrations and as a result of a strong pressure drop.
- Injuries are those injuries that occur against the background of the penetration of foreign objects into the body.
Damage to the external part of the hearing organ
In this part, the auricle is most susceptible to injuries, as it is located outside and is not protected by anything. The rest is “hidden” in the skull.
The most common causes of damage to the outer auricle:
- bites of representatives of fauna, including poisonous insects;
- falls;
- blow to the jaw;
- targeted hits.
In fact, there are many more reasons, and in medical practice there are unique cases. Almost all of these injuries have the same symptoms:
- redness and swelling at the site of the bruise;
- hematoma formation;
- pain if you touch the injured part of the auricle;
- clearly palpable pulse at the site of injury;
- blood.
If you cut your ear or caused yourself another wound, which is accompanied by bruising, then the damaged area must be treated with an antiseptic or wiped with a clean cloth if there is no disinfectant.
If the ear shell is badly damaged, you must immediately contact a medical institution. With complete separation of the ear, it should be placed in a slightly damp cloth or vessel with ice and urgently go to the hospital. If no more than 8-10 hours have passed after an ear injury, then it can be sewn back. Further treatment may consist of antibacterial agents to prevent infection.
Untreated bruises can lead to the fact that the accumulated blood will lead to an abscess and, as a result, to necrosis of the cartilage of the auricle, which will melt and look like leaves of a sluggish cabbage.
If a chemical or thermal burn touches the ear canal, swelling may occur, which will subsequently lead to scarring. In some cases, such scars cause a complete blockage of the auditory canal and, accordingly, cause hearing impairment.
Diagnosis and further treatment
Due to the fact that the outer ear consists of cartilage and is located on the surface, special diagnostic measures are not required. If, however, the injury is deep, then the doctor will use, first of all, endoscopic and / or otoscopic examination. The latter technique allows you to assess the severity of the lesion. The button probe allows you to evaluate the severity of damage to cartilage and bone tissue. X-ray examination allows to assess the extent of damage and the condition of bone tissue.
The choice of treatment tactics depends entirely on the nature of the injury. If this is minor damage, then it may only be antibacterial treatment and a sterile dressing is applied. If the injury is complex and deep, you will need to drink antibacterial agents so that nearby tissues are not infected.
If there is a hematoma, it must be opened to remove clotted blood. If there was a fracture of the ear, or rather the bone, then in order to avoid interference from chewing movements, the jaw is fixed, and the nutrition during the recovery period consists exclusively of liquid dishes. Naturally, such treatment is performed only in a hospital setting.
Middle ear injuries
Unlike external ear injuries, the average has a minimal amount of damage. In particular, it could be:
- acoustic trauma;
- eardrum rupture;
- damage due to a sharp pressure drop, barotrauma;
- concussion in the ear cavity;
- wounds with sharp objects that “reached” the eardrum;
- damage to the auditory ossicle.
However, such injuries are very dangerous in that they often lead to a decrease in sound perception. In such cases, the eardrum ceases to fulfill the functions assigned to it, in particular, it does not receive or receives sound signals poorly, respectively, and transfers vibrations to the inner ear poorly.
After such ear injuries, there is a huge risk of developing otitis media.
There are a number of symptoms that are characteristic of middle ear lesions:
- bleeding
- pain
- decreased or even complete loss of hearing.
Diagnosis and therapy
The organs and tissues of the ears regenerate quickly enough. The main thing is to seek medical help on time. If the therapy was prescribed correctly and the entire course of treatment has been completed, then the hearing returns.
However, if no improvement is observed for 2 months, then, most likely, the inflammatory process continues inside. In some cases, laser or conventional surgery may be recommended. In particular, an operation is performed if pus has accumulated inside the cavity.
Diagnostic measures are in principle the same as for damage to the outside. This is an otoscopy, x-ray examination. In cases where there was a rupture of the eardrum or a barotrauma was inflicted, no special therapy is required.
Damage to the inner ear
This part of the human ear is deep enough, and it seems that no extraneous or sharp objects can harm the labyrinth. However, it is possible. It can be not only penetrating wounds, but also acoustic impact. In such situations, the main symptom is nausea and loud tinnitus.
The victim may feel that objects are spinning around him. In the future, it may come to a loss of consciousness, neurological disorders and even paresis of the facial nerve may be observed.
If there was an acoustic ear injury in a person, then hemorrhage can begin. Chronic development of pathology can occur against the background of prolonged strong exposure to sound on the organ of hearing. Such a disease is characteristic of persons working in a noisy industry. One of the reasons for the development of the disease can be a fracture of the temporal bone.
Diagnosis and treatment
When making a diagnosis, the doctor, first of all, conducts an initial examination, while radiography can be prescribed. Auditory function is also examined. In some cases, an accurate diagnosis can only be established after MRI. Very often, a study of the vestibular apparatus is required .
Treatment of the inner ear is a rather complicated and lengthy process, requiring efforts not only from the doctor, but also from the victim himself. First of all, ear treatment is required, and if necessary, drainage is performed, after which a sterile dressing is applied.
With minor injuries, the prognosis for recovery is positive. If we are talking about the presence of foreign bodies, then an otosurgical operation is required to extract these items.
Congenital malformations
Lop-eared is the most common auricle anomaly, which occurs in 50% of cases in newborns. Moreover, in equal parts for both boys and girls. Although the hearing loss is not a consequence of the injury, it nevertheless causes great psychological discomfort, in adulthood a negative effect on the character can be observed. Deviations can be noticed already at the birth of the baby.
Recently, doctors have been offering ear correctors. Best of all, they help get rid of hearing loss in infancy. Before the age of 6 months, you can fix the ears in the correct position, and because of the softness of the cartilage, they will take the correct shape, that is, you can do without surgical intervention.
In adulthood, ear correctors do not have this effect, and they will have to be worn constantly, but the psychological component of the hearing loss is eliminated and surgery can be avoided.
First Aid Injury
Ear fracture, acoustic injuries and other pathologies can lead to dire consequences, therefore it is very important to provide first aid in time.
First of all, it is necessary to examine the area of injury, reassure the victim and immediately call the ambulance team. Then you should carefully treat the wound, preferably with antiseptic agents, if they are at hand. Then a cooling dressing or ice can be applied to the ear.
If bleeding constantly opens, then it should be stopped with hydrogen peroxide and a bandage should be applied. If possible, the movement of the jaw apparatus should be limited. When providing first aid, you should try not to damage the cartilage.
Rehabilitation
Damage to the eardrum is of particular danger, therefore, with such injuries to the ears, medical help will not work. After the course of treatment, rehabilitation plays a huge role in order to avoid hearing loss - complete or partial.
The patient will have to give up physical activity and strictly observe the prescribed treatment. You should be very careful about the damaged organ of hearing, even during sleep. It is recommended to use funds during the recovery period that will accelerate the healing process. It can be tea with chamomile or rose hips.
Possible complications
If the ear injury is quite light and superficial, then the healing process is quick and, as a rule, there are no complications. In cases where the injury is moderate, complications of the neurological nature of the origin are possible, and even hearing may be completely or partially lost. It is very dangerous when the inflammatory process joins the injury, especially if there is no appropriate treatment. This condition can even lead to death or disability.
Prevention
It is clear that to protect yourself from a bullet wound or a stab wound is unlikely to succeed. But to protect yourself from strong sound from the headphones is very simple. When riding on potentially dangerous sports equipment (bicycles, skates, etc.), it is worth using protective equipment.
When applying for a job at a manufacturing enterprise, you should clarify how loud noises are in the workshops and evaluate for yourself how much such work is needed. In the worst case, if you still need work, you should strictly adhere to safety regulations.