Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders
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Biology of the Ears, Nose, and ThroatThe ears, nose, and throat are located near each other and have separate but related functions.
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Symptoms of Ear DisordersEarache usually occurs in only one ear. Some people also have ear discharge or, rarely, hearing loss.
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Symptoms of Nose and Throat DisordersSome people get nosebleeds rather often, and others rarely get them. There may be just a trickle of blood or a strong stream. If people swallow the blood, they often vomit it because blood is irritating to the stomach. Swallowed blood may pass through the digestive tract and appear in the stool as black tarry stools.
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Hearing Loss and DeafnessWorldwide, about half a billion people (almost 8% of the world's population) have hearing loss. More than 15% of people in the United States have some degree of hearing loss that affects their daily communication, making it the most common sensory disorder. The incidence increases with age. Although less than 2% of children under 18 have a permanent hearing loss, hearing loss during infancy and early childhood can be detrimental to language and social development. Over one third of people over 65 years and over half of people over age 75 are affected.
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Inner Ear DisordersThe fluid-filled inner ear (labyrinth) is a complex structure consisting of two major parts:
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Laryngeal DisordersThe voice box (larynx) contains the vocal cords. Laryngeal disorders can result from straining or injuring the vocal cords or from a viral infection.
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Middle Ear DisordersThe middle ear consists of the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and an air-filled chamber containing a chain of three bones (ossicles) that connect the eardrum to the inner ear (see Middle Ear). The middle ear acts as an amplifier of sound, whereas the inner ear acts as a transducer, changing mechanical sound waves into an electrical signal that is sent to the brain via the nerve of hearing (statoacoustic nerve).
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Mouth and Throat DisordersEnlarged and inflamed adenoids, common among children, can make breathing difficult and lead to sleep disturbances and recurring ear infections.
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Mouth, Nose, and Throat CancersCancers of the mouth, nose, and throat develop in almost 65,000 people in the United States each year. These cancers are more common among men because males who smoke continue to outnumber females who smoke and because oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is more frequent in males. Most affected people are between the ages of 50 and 70. However, the cancers caused by HPV, which are primarily oropharyngeal cancers, occur more often in younger people.
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Nose and Sinus DisordersThe upper part of the nose consists mostly of bone. The lower part of the nose gains its support from cartilage. Inside the nose is a hollow cavity (nasal cavity), which is divided into two passages by a thin sheet of cartilage and bone called the nasal septum. The bones of the face contain the paranasal sinuses, which are hollow cavities that open into the nasal cavity (see Nose and Sinuses).
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Outer Ear DisordersDermatitis of the ear canal is itching, scaling, flaking, and swelling of the skin of the ear canal and skin at the entrance of the ear canal.
