Articles by Kathryn Senior on Ear Problems and Ear Care
I Feel Dizzy and My Ear Itches: What Does It Mean?
Dizziness and ear itching might signal otitis externa, a common outer ear infection often caused by water exposure or skin irritation.
4th September 2026
Ear Trauma: Causes and Effects
Ear trauma can damage any part of your ear and range from visible injuries to hidden damage affecting your hearing.
15th May 2026
Ear Injections for Meniere's Disease
How ear injections can help relieve the debilitating dizziness and vertigo caused by Meniere's disease.
7th November 2011
Glomus Tumours: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
Glomus tumours are slow-growing nerve growths in the head and neck that can cause hearing loss and dizziness if they affect the inner ear.
12th September 2011
The Impact of Flight on the Ears
Flying causes ear pain because of pressure changes in the cabin that your Eustachian tube can't always equalise quickly.
7th February 2011
The Connection Between Hearing and Speech
Without hearing, children struggle to learn speech naturally and need intensive therapy to communicate effectively.
7th February 2011
How the Inner Ear Helps You Walk Straight
Your inner ear contains fluid-filled canals that tell your brain which way is up, helping you stay balanced as you walk.
4th February 2011
Do Ear Trumpets Work?
Ear trumpets amplify sound mechanically by funneling vibrations into your ear, and they actually work better than you might think.
3rd February 2011
Psoriasis and the Ear
Psoriasis commonly affects the ears and skin throughout the body, causing raised pink plaques and flaky patches that result from faster cell division.
2nd February 2011
Who Was Miller Reese Hutchison?
Miller Reess Hutchison was an Alabama-born inventor who pioneered early hearing aid development and dreamed of working with Thomas Edison.
31st January 2011
Common Vestibular Disorders
Inner ear balance disorders cause dizziness and vertigo, with BPPV being the most common type affecting older adults.
31st January 2011
A Brief History of Hearing Aids
From ear trumpets made of seashells to today's digital devices, see how hearing aids evolved into one of medicine's great successes.
31st January 2011
Types of Ear Surgery
Several types of ear surgery now treat hearing loss, repair damage, and reshape ears using microsurgery and laser techniques.
15th November 2010
How Does a Cochlear Implant Work?
Cochlear implants bypass damaged ear parts by sending sound signals directly to your auditory nerve, letting deaf people hear and understand speech.
12th November 2010
Dizziness: Is It Caused by a Virus?
Viral infections like flu can cause dizziness by inflaming the inner ear, triggering vertigo and balance problems.
11th November 2010
Pneumococcal Meningitis and Deafness
Pneumococcal meningitis can cause permanent hearing loss and brain damage, but vaccines have reduced cases significantly in recent years.
10th November 2010
Prominent Ears: How They Can Affect Children
Prominent ears can lead to bullying in children, but surgery offers a way to address the appearance and emotional impact.
10th November 2010
What Is Otitis Externa?
Otitis externa is an outer ear infection caused by bacteria or fungi, often triggered by scratching, water exposure, or chemical irritants.
9th November 2010
Balance, Vertigo and Ageing
How ageing damages the inner ear and causes balance problems, dizziness and falls in older adults.
9th November 2010
Genetic Testing and Deafness
Genetic testing can identify which gene mutations cause about half of all congenital deafness cases in newborns.
16th August 2010
Sign Language as a Communication Tool
Sign language is a full language that deaf and hard of hearing people use to communicate, with different versions across countries like British and American.
16th August 2010
Football Clubs for the Deaf
Britain has had deaf football clubs since the 1870s, with 25 teams now competing for the annual British Deaf Football Cup.
16th August 2010
Drugs to Prevent Noise-induced Hearing Loss
Researchers are testing a drug called ADAC that could prevent or reverse hearing damage from loud noise exposure.
16th August 2010
Measles, German Measles and Deafness
How measles, mumps and German measles can cause hearing loss, and why rubella vaccination matters for preventing congenital deafness.
13th August 2010
Hearing Problems in Children Due to CMV Infection
CMV infection during pregnancy can cause hearing loss and other serious problems in babies, even though mothers often have no symptoms.
12th August 2010
What's the Point of Earwax?
Earwax might seem like a nuisance, but it's actually a complex substance that protects your ears and serves important functions.
12th August 2010
Ear Health in the Over 75s
Many people over 75 have hearing problems but don't get treatment that could improve their quality of life.
12th August 2010
I Have Meniere's Disease: A Case Study
George shares how he rebuilt his life after a Meniere's disease diagnosis disrupted his retail management career.
15th June 2010
My Son Had a Cholesteatoma: A Case Study
A mother's account of her son's three surgeries for cholesteatoma, a skin condition behind the eardrum that caused recurring ear infections and hearing loss.
14th June 2010
What Types of Congenital Hearing Problems Are There?
Babies can be born with hearing loss from genetic factors or womb damage like infections, trauma during birth, or maternal substance use.
14th June 2010
How Your Genes Shape Your Ear Lobes
Your earlobe shape is determined by a single gene, and you'll have one of just two types inherited from your parents.
11th June 2010
I Have Autoimmune Ear Disease: A Case Study
A woman's sudden hearing loss after a fall leads to an autoimmune ear disease diagnosis that changes her life.
10th June 2010
Cysts and Tumours in the Ear
Ear tumours are rare, but when they occur, they usually affect the skin or middle ear and can cause hearing loss.
10th June 2010
What Is Hyperacusis?
Hyperacusis is a condition where everyday sounds feel unbearably loud, making concentration and daily life extremely stressful.
9th June 2010
Why Hearing Tests Are Important for Diabetics
Diabetics are twice as likely to experience hearing loss, so regular hearing tests matter just as much as eye exams.
6th April 2010
Tiny Microphones Help Soldiers Hear in Battle
Tiny microphones help soldiers pinpoint sniper fire and aircraft in noisy battle conditions by separating and analysing different sounds.
6th April 2010
My Ears Really Were Burning: A Case Study
A man's embarrassing lesson in sun safety after years of nagging his wife about sunbathing leads to severe sunburn requiring hospital treatment.
6th April 2010
I Had to Wait a Year for a Digital Hearing Aid: A Case Study
Martin lost his hearing in a workplace explosion and waited a year to get a digital hearing aid that could help him hear again.
6th April 2010
I Don't Hear as Well as I Used To: A Case Study
An active woman in her 70s discovers her hearing loss during phone calls with her sister and learns what came next.
31st March 2010
I Had Hopi Ear Candling: A Case Study
One woman tried hopi ear candling for chronic sinusitis and found out whether the alternative therapy actually works.
31st March 2010
Is There Such a Thing as a Lazy Ear?
Repeated ear infections in children can damage hearing development in ways similar to lazy eye if the brain starts ignoring signals from the affected ear.
29th March 2010
How Well Do You Know Your Ears?
Test your knowledge of how ears work, from the visible outer part to the tiny bones deep inside that help you hear and stay balanced.
23rd March 2010
War Can Cause Deafness
Explosions and gunfire in combat zones damage soldiers' hearing at dangerous levels, with most troops returning from war showing significant hearing loss.
18th January 2010
I Lost My Ear: A Case Study
Peter's car accident caused a shattered window that severed his ear, revealing how a small delay in repairs led to life-changing consequences.
18th January 2010
Can Music Help Tinnitus?
Music and sound can help manage tinnitus symptoms by masking unwanted noise and reducing the distress it causes.
18th January 2010
My Pierced Ears Got Infected: A Case Study
Emily got her ears pierced secretly at a tattoo parlor and learned the hard way why infections happen when aftercare goes wrong.
15th January 2010
How Can I Check My Hearing?
If you're constantly asking people to repeat themselves or turning up the TV volume, a hearing test can tell you if hearing loss is the problem.
15th January 2010
How I Coped with Sudden Deafness: A Case Study
Waking up deaf from a viral infection, Michael had to rebuild his life and learn new ways to communicate with family and the world around him.
14th January 2010
Punk Rock Made Me Deaf: A Case Study
How years of loud punk rock concerts and headphone use during her teenage years left Alison deaf in adulthood.
13th January 2010
What Is an Ototoxic Drug?
Some common drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen can damage your hearing as a side effect, though the damage is often reversible.
12th January 2010
What Has Sea Sickness Got to Do with the Ear?
Motion sickness isn't a stomach problem, it's your inner ear sensors clashing with what your eyes are telling your brain.
29th June 2009
Facts and Figures About Hearing Problems
Nearly 9 million people in the UK live with hearing loss or deafness, with most cases occurring in people over 60.
29th June 2009
Facts and Figures on Different Hearing Ranges
Humans hear between 16 Hz and 16,384 Hz, but dogs and other animals can detect much higher frequencies than we can.
29th June 2009
I Had to Learn to Live with Tinnitus: A Case Study
Alan developed tinnitus after a workplace hearing injury and shares how he learned to adapt to the constant ringing in his ears.
29th June 2009
I Beat Stress by Having Ear Acupuncture: A Case Study
One woman found relief from overwhelming stress through ear acupuncture when life's demands became unbearable.
29th June 2009
I Went Deaf After a Cold: A Case Study
A teenage girl lost her hearing after a double cold infection just before her exams, and here's what happened next.
29th June 2009
I Had My Ears Pinned Back: A Case Study
One man's ear surgery transformed him from a reclusive 22-year-old into a confident adult with a thriving career and social life.
26th June 2009
My Child Had a Bad Ear Infection: A Case Study
A parent's account of caring for her young daughter through a severe ear infection and the emotional toll it took on the whole family.
26th June 2009
Has Flight in a Glider Affected My Ear?
Ear popping during glider flight is usually just pressure changes in your Eustachian tube, not permanent damage.
6th April 2009
Living with a Deaf Parent: Life Story
A 16-year-old shares what it's really like growing up with a deaf mum and how his family adapted to everyday challenges.
19th December 2008
Can Genetics Explain Hearing Problems?
Some hearing loss comes from genetic mutations like Waardenburg and Usher syndrome, which can affect ears, eyes and other body systems.
17th December 2008
Will Gene Therapy Reverse Deafness?
Gene therapy shows promise in reversing deafness by regenerating damaged inner ear cells, though human trials are still years away.
17th December 2008
Living with a Cochlear Implant
How a severe case of mumps left Ellie profoundly deaf and led her to explore life with a cochlear implant.
17th December 2008
Can Stem Cells Restore Lost Hearing?
Scientists are testing whether stem cells from the brain could one day restore hearing by replacing damaged hair cells in the inner ear.
17th December 2008
Dangers of Workplace Noise
Loud workplace noise damages hearing permanently when exposure exceeds 85 decibels, with stricter regulations now protecting workers in developed countries.
17th December 2008
Can Earphones Damage Your Hearing?
Regular earphone use at high volume can permanently damage your hearing in just a few years.
17th December 2008