The Ear Book: A Complete Guide to Ear Disorders and Health

by Thomas J. Balkany, Kevin D. Brown

Overview

The owner’s manual for ears.

Intricately shaped and amazingly sensitive, ears are the organs of hearing and balance. When something goes wrong with the ears—whether infection or cancer, eardrum perforation or hearing loss—our overall well-being is generally disturbed.

In The Ear Book, Drs. Thomas J. Balkany and Kevin D. Brown, recognized experts on ears and hearing, explain how the anatomy of the ear facilitates hearing and balance and then examine the causes, symptoms, and treatment of common problems of the outer, middle, and inner ear. Their explanations take the mystery out of hearing aids, the proper care of ears, and how the pressurized conditions of scuba diving and air travel affect the ears. And they debunk ear-related myths—from the notion that exposure to loud noise strengthens the ear to the idea that tinnitus can be cured with nutrients—and urge readers to stop using ear candling or Q-tips to get rid of wax.

Drs. Balkany and Brown address such common questions as: Can dizziness be cured? How loud is too loud? Why do my ears ring? Do cochlear implants work for nerve deafness? What promise do innovations in gene therapy and stem cell therapy hold for the future? Fully illustrated and including helpful tables, hearing preservation tips, a glossary of terms, lists of ear medications and resources, and suggestions for further reading, The Ear Book is sure to be a welcome family guide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421422855
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	06/30/2017
Series:	A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Thomas J. Balkany, MD, FACS, FAAP, is the Hotchkiss Professor and chairman emeritus of the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is the coeditor of Clinical Pediatric Otolaryngology.

Kevin D. Brown, MD, PhD, is an associate professor of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery and neurosurgery at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, where he is the chief of the Division of Otology and Neurotology.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

I Understanding Your Ears

1 How the Ear Works 3

2 Ear Symptoms: What Do They Mean? 8

3 Common Myths about the Ear 12

II Common Ear Problems

4 Otitis Media 27

5 An Overview of Hearing Loss 37

6 Hearing Loss in Children 39

7 Age-Related Hearing Loss 50

8 Alf about Hearing Aids 55

9 All about Cochlear Implants 61

10 Dizziness and Vertigo 71

11 Tinnitus: Ringing in the Ears 81

III Disorders of the Outer Ear

12 Swimmer's Ear 93

13 Ear Wax and Foreign Bodies 102

14 Malformations of the Outer Ear 107

15 Bony Growths of the Ear Canal 112

16 Cancer of the Outer Ear 115

17 Trauma: Cauliflower Ear 120

IV Disorders of the Middle Ear

18 Perforated Eardrum and Tympanoplasty 127

19 Otosclerosis and Stapedotomy 134

20 Mastoiditis and Cholesteatoma 137

V Disorders of the Inner Ear

21 Ménière's Disease 145

22 Noise-Induced Hearing Loss 156

23 Sudden Deafness and Autoimmune Disease 161

24 Ototoxic Drugs 167

25 Acoustic Neuroma and Other Tumors 171

VI Other Things You Should Know

26 Hearing and Balance Tests 183

27 The Ear and Scuba Diving 194

28 Airplane Ear 199

29 Bell's Palsy and the Facial Nerve 204

30 The Future: Gene Therapy and Stem Cell Therapy of the Ear 209

Appendix 1 Commonly Used Ear Medications and Their Side Effects 213

Appendix 2 Organizations Offering Information, Support, and Advocacy 215

Glossary 217

References 221

Index 233

What People are Saying About This

Rodney Lusk

The Ear Book is written primarily for the lay public, however generalists will find it very useful. The illustrations are simple, clear, and to the point, with special emphasis on anatomy and diseases and their treatments. I found the little vignettes regarding disease presentation to be particularly useful. Patients will surely identify with them. Otolaryngologists and otologists would do well to keep a copy of this book in their offices as a suggested reference for diseases of the ear and vestibular system. It will significantly improve their patients understanding of their disease. Thank you, Dr. Balkany and Dr. Brown, for writing this much-needed reference for our patients.

Donna Shalala

Everything you ever wanted to know about ears from two outstanding physician scientists. I loved this book!

From the Publisher

An excellent book that will be of interest to people with ear problems, doctors who do not specialize in ear disorders, and medical trainees.
—Gregory T. Whitman, MD, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, coauthor of Dizziness: Why You Feel Dizzy and What Will Help You Feel Better

Everything you ever wanted to know about ears from two outstanding physician scientists. I loved this book!
—Donna Shalala, Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services

The Ear Book is written primarily for the lay public, however generalists will find it very useful. The illustrations are simple, clear, and to the point, with special emphasis on anatomy and diseases and their treatments. I found the little vignettes regarding disease presentation to be particularly useful. Patients will surely identify with them. Otolaryngologists and otologists would do well to keep a copy of this book in their offices as a suggested reference for diseases of the ear and vestibular system. It will significantly improve their patients understanding of their disease. Thank you, Dr. Balkany and Dr. Brown, for writing this much-needed reference for our patients.
—Rodney Lusk, MD, Past President, American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

The Ear Book by Drs. Thomas Balkany and Kevin Brown is an up-to-date, thorough guide to disorders of the ear. It is clear, concise, interesting and easily understood. The information is reliable and accurate. Written by highly respected, leading ear specialists with decades of experience, this information is something not easily found in today’s world filled with misinformation. This book is gem for everyone with questions about their ears. I highly recommend it—especially the chapter on Myths of the Ear!
—D. Bradley Welling, MD, PhD, Harvard University Department of Otolaryngology

D. Bradley Welling

The Ear Book by Drs. Thomas Balkany and Kevin Brown is an up-to-date, thorough guide to disorders of the ear. It is clear, concise, interesting and easily understood. The information is reliable and accurate. Written by highly respected, leading ear specialists with decades of experience, this information is something not easily found in today’s world filled with misinformation. This book is gem for everyone with questions about their ears. I highly recommend it—especially the chapter on Myths of the Ear!

Gregory T. Whitman

An excellent book that will be of interest to people with ear problems, doctors who do not specialize in ear disorders, and medical trainees.

Editorial Reviews

In "The Ear Book: A Complete Guide to Ear Disorders and Health", Drs. Thomas J. Balkany and Kevin D. Brown, who are both recognized experts on ears and hearing, deftly explain how the anatomy of the ear facilitates hearing and balance and then examine the causes, symptoms, and treatment of common problems of the outer, middle, and inner ear. Their explanations take the mystery out of hearing aids, the proper care of ears, and how the pressurized conditions of scuba diving and air travel affect the ears.  . . . "The Ear Book" is sure to be a welcome family guide. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Health/Medicine reference collections. . .

From the Publisher