Hearing loss

“ The normal ear is capable of hearing considerably better than is necessary for the ordinary purposes of civilization; in fact, is endowed with what may be termed "superfluous hearing." Proper tests will discover the loss of even a small portion of this superfluous hearing, and warn us that we are gradually becoming deaf—in fact, already partially deaf—although we may not have noticed the slightest deficiency. ”

“ Hence it is that after deafness has once effected lodgment in the system, a cure has not usually been regarded as within reach, though for certain individual cases there may be medical examination and treatment, with attempts made at relief. For deafness in general, it has been felt that there has been little that could be done in the way of prevention or cure beyond the preservation of the general health and the warding off of diseases that might cause loss of hearing. ”

“ Often there is disorder of the ear tubes and congestion of drum, with loss of power of the hearing nerves, and consequent noises in the ear. The central nervous system is affected. In high schools, non-smokers get on better than smokers. Children from 9 to 15 years of age exhibit less intelligence, laziness, or other degenerative tendencies. Adults have head-pressure, sleeplessness, or drowsy stupor, depression, apathy, and dizziness. There may also be ataxic symptoms, paretic weakness of bowel and bladder, trembling and spasms. ”

“ It is hardly necessary to point out that lack of cleanliness in the ears may interfere with the hearing, and that carelessness with regard to the teeth may lead to their loss and to defects of speech, apart from other unpleasant consequences. It is clear that anything in the nature of tight-lacing renders good breathing impossible ”

“ The disorder that leads to vertigo implies a retention of a measure of the normal function of the internal ear, and therefore of hearing, whereas the disease that has caused complete destruction of the internal ear and consequent loss of hearing has equally destroyed the function of the labyrinth in maintaining a sense of balance, and has obviated the aural sensations of equilibrium and loss of balance. ”

“ Causes of Impairment of Hearing.—The majority of the affections of the middle ear originate from extensions of catarrhal inflammations, from the nose and throat, through the Eustachian tubes. In children adenoids are the most frequent cause of deafness. The so-called hereditary deafness is probably due to an inherited configuration of the septum of the nose, a bending of the septum to one side, or a tendency to catarrhal affections of its mucous membranes. ”

“ In addition to the indications already given, operation is advisable on the worse side if there be almost complete obstruction on both sides, accompanied by recurrent attacks of deafness, owing to the narrowed passage of the auditory canal becoming repeatedly blocked from accumulation of cerumen or epithelial débris.
Operation is contra-indicated if previous examination indicates that the deafness is due to a chronic middle-ear catarrh or internal-ear disease, as in these cases restoration of hearing, which is the primary object of the operation, will be impossible. ”

“ In the open air the hearing is better than in a confined situation; in a noisy, than in a quiet society; in a coach when it is in motion, than when it is still. A pulsation is often felt in the ear; a noise resembling sometimes the roaring of the sea, and at others the ringing of distant bells is heard. This deafness generally begins with a diminished secretion of the wax of the ear, which the patient attributes to cold. ”

“ When this disease proceeds from an obstruction of the lachrymal duct, or natural passage of the tears, it is called a fistula lachrymalis, and can only be cured by a surgical operation.
OF THE EAR. The functions of the ear may be injured by wounds, ulcers, or any thing that hurts its fabric. The hearing may likewise be hurt by excessive noise; violent colds in the head; fevers; hard wax, or other substances sticking in the cavity of the ear; too great a degree of moisture or dryness of the ear. Deafness is very often the effect of old age, and is incident to most people in the decline of life. ”

“ If the hearing is properly tested just as soon as the ringing in the ears has become more or less constant, some degree of deafness will be detected. As the case progresses, even before all the so-called superfluous hearing has been destroyed, the patient will realize that he is becoming deaf. For this condition there is nothing to be done by the patient himself. ”

“ In other cases the hearing is lost so gradually that a considerable degree of deafness may exist before the person is really aware of the fact. Either condition is often accompanied with noises in the head of every conceivable description, increasing the distress of the sufferer. The delicate bones of the ear are sometimes detached from their articulations, the drum is ulcerated and perforated, and through the orifice thus made, the bones or small spiculæ may escape with the thick, purulent, and offensive discharge. ”

“ Sometimes water that gets in this way causes inflammation and cold, which hurt the sense of hearing. No one should ever strike another on the ear, even in play. It is likely to cause deafness. What is called the drum of the ear is a very delicate membrane which receives the sound. ”

“ The great object, therefore, of the after-treatment is to prevent the inner wall of the tympanic cavity becoming covered with granulations which may become organized later into a fibrous pad covering the inner wall of the tympanic cavity, and thus prevent movement of the stapes and, in consequence, marked deafness. The prevalent idea that the hearing power is destroyed irrevocably, as a result of the complete operation, is quite wrong: equally so is the harmful statement that, as a result of this operation, complete restoration of the hearing can be obtained. ”

“ If there be marked middle-ear deafness, the result of adhesions, and the malleus is fixed to the promontory. Operation is justifiable if it is found that after each inflation of the middle ear, improvement of hearing is obtained which, however, is not permanent but only temporary. ”

“ Again, in middle-ear deafness, hearing may be better in a noisy place, and be improved by inflation of the tympanum; while in labyrinthine deafness, hearing may be better in a quiet room, and be rendered worse by inflation. ”

“ The watch and human voice would only show the ear to be defective in its hearing power, and it may be from any of the above-mentioned causes. The tuning-fork, in vibration, placed on an incisor tooth or on the frontal bone, would bring out the fact that if the deafness was due to a diseased middle ear or obstruction in the external auditory canal, the tuning-fork would be heard best by the defective ear; but if due to a disease of the internal ear, it would be heard the least distinctly by the defective-hearing ear. ”

“ Children thus affected hear only with difficulty and by straining certain small muscles of the ear, which soon become fatigued, and the child becomes listless and inattentive. I have seen numerous cases in which children have been severely punished for inattention, when this was due to defective hearing. Watchfulness and early attention in these cases will frequently prevent the more serious forms of deafness. ”

“ In some forms of deafness blisters behind the ears are useful. A clove of garlic wrapped in cotton or gauze, or a few drops of the juice introduced into the ear, is extremely efficacious in nervous deafness. When imperfect hearing depends upon obtundity of the auditory nerve, or an extensive obliteration or malformation of the internal ear, it scarcely admits of cure.
Deafness, Taylor’s Remedy for. Prep. From oil of almonds, 1 lb.; garlic, bruised, 2 oz.; alkanet root, 1⁄2 oz.; digest for a week, and strain. A little is poured into the ear in deafness. ”

“ Affections of the ears are exceedingly serious and may lead to grave results. Any trouble with them should be given very prompt attention and a good specialist consulted. Pain in the ear, or ringing or hissing sounds, and particularly any discharge from the ear, should not be neglected. Any sign of deafness must be heeded. Sometimes deafness occurs in reference to some particular sounds while hearing is normal to others. ”

“ If the patient is a woman, who because of offensive breath is barred from society, she will become morbid and hypochondriacal in time. There is so much of the thick mucus hanging on the walls of the pharynx that the openings into the eustachian tubes are filled up and in a short time a certain degree of deafness appears—roaring in the head and other manifestations of ear trouble. As soon as the hearing is noticed to be abnormal the patient will be ready to consult some physician. ”

“ Every cold in the head tends to mechanically involve the ears, and, while recovery may seem complete, there is likely to be some unrelieved trouble which insidiously but steadily increases—first one ear, and then the other, shows signs of defective hearing. ”

“ And there is no doubt that the time will come, if the strain on the hearing increases from the diabolic noises in the streets, that the next generation's hearing will be as much affected as our eyes are now. ”

“ Many children are made deaf by boxes on the ear in this way. Nor is this the only way: if there is one thing which does the nerve of hearing more harm than almost any other, it is a sudden jar or shock. Children and grown persons alike may be entirely deafened by falls or heavy blows upon the head. And boxing the ears produces a similar effect, though more slowly and in less degree. It tends to dull the sensibility of the nerve, even if it does not hurt the membrane. I knew a pitiful case, once, of a poor youth who died from a terrible disease of the ear. ”

“ But, curiously enough, the healthy ear is not thus dulled save by a very loud, persistent noise, and then there is the risk of permanent damage to the hearing organ. Some forms of tactile sensation, also, would seem to remain ever sensitive, for, although it may be possible to become so inured to pain as to ignore it, yet that is probably a mental act, and it is said, moreover, that men have been tortured to death by the tickling of the soles of their feet. ”

“ DEAFNESS, CHRONIC OR ACUTE NERVOUS DEAFNESS, SINGING NOISES AND PAINS IN THE EARS.
A NEW DISCOVERY FOR RESTORING HEARING, proved to be perfectly infallible, by which many thousands of sufferers have been instantly enabled to hear the human voice in a low tone without causing one instant's pain, inconvenience, or trouble to a child, or aged nervous sufferer of either sex. This truly important discovery for the cure of deafness, obviating as it does all the former dangerous and fatal operations, has been made by the eminent aurist, DR. DAVID THOMAS, ten years Consulting Surgeon, at 14. ”

“ The danger from the introduction of solid implements into the outer ear is chiefly found in the fact that the membrane which lies at the bottom of it is very fragile, and that any injury of it is liable to be permanent, and to permanently impair the hearing of the injured ear. ”

“ The eardrum is not absolutely essential to hearing, but it is of great importance to exclude sources of irritation, dust, water, and germs which are likely to set up middle-ear trouble. More ordinary after-effects are chronic discharge from the ear following acute inflammation and perforation of the eardrum, which may mean at any time a sudden return of pain with the occurrence of the more dangerous conditions just recited, together with deafness. ”

“ Again, there are mistakes which rise from the fact that the deaf often learn a great deal from the movements of the lips, and the reading of these movements has become the basis of the so-called “audition” of deaf mutes. There are stories of deaf mutes who have perceived more in this way, and by means of their necessary and well-practised synthesis of impressions, than persons with good hearing power.
The differences that age makes in hearing are of importance. ”

“ The symptoms are all much relieved on the occurrence of copious purulent discharge.
Suppuration in the organ of hearing often follows eruptive diseases; and both ears, or one, may continue to discharge for a long time. There is always more or less derangement of the functions of the parts. When the disease is external, perhaps hearing may not be much affected; but when, as often happens, the ossicula, nervous expansions, membrane, parietes, are all destroyed or injured, hearing is lost, or rendered at least very obtuse. ”

“ One source of danger to the hearing consists in lowering the temperature of the ear, especially by the introduction of cold water into the auditory canal. Every one is familiar with the unpleasant sensation of distension and the confusion of sounds which accompany the filling of the ear with water when bathing: the weight of the {225}water within it really distends the membrane, and the cold chills the adjacent sensitive parts. It is not surprising, therefore, that the frequent introduction of cold water and its continued presence in the ear enfeeble the sense of hearing. ”

“ If it be suffered to continue for any length of time without being cleaned, a species of wax accumulates in it; which, if not speedily removed, becomes tough and hard, diminishes the acuteness of hearing, and produces at length total deafness. ”

“ Complete bilateral deafness. This is practically never organic; complete bilateral deafness is a phenomenon either of traumatic hysteria or of simulation. Sundry methods of surprising the patient into hearing have been adopted. The practice of teaching lip-reading to simulators and hysterics has led to some difficulties in diagnosis, but tests have been produced by Gosset (of one sound with the lips set to form another, and the like) which are of service. ”