It happens out of nowhere. Sitting at your desk at your office, all of the sudden you lose hearing in one of your ears for a few seconds before everything returns to normal. Or maybe you hear a ringing in your ear on and off for a few days, and then it disappears.
When most people think of ear issues, they think of ear infections, hearing loss and deafness. However, despite being one of the smallest structures in your body, ears are incredibly complex and subject to many complications.
So, is that ringing in your ear normal or a sign of something more serious? Here are five ear problems you may not know about, and what to do if you suspect you have an ear disorder.
You temporarily lose hearing in one or both of your ears
What it is: Acute noise-induced hearing loss or obstructive hearing loss.
If you’ve ever been to a loud concert, you may have experienced noise-induced hearing loss before. Acute noise-induced hearing loss occurs when you temporarily lose your hearing in response to exposure to loud noise. It can make environmental sounds seem muffled or make conversations sound stifled. Though temporary on its own, repeatedly experiencing acute noise-induced hearing loss can lead to permanent hearing loss in the long run.
Obstructive, or conductive, hearing loss occurs when something physically blocks sound from reaching your hearing structures. This can happen when you have too much ear wax built up in your ears, if you have a foreign object lodged in your ear, or if you have some sort of injury to your inner, middle or outer ear. If you have this type of hearing loss, you may also experience pain or a feeling of fullness in your ear.