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Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)
- Caused by clenching or grinding teeth
- Intermittent or chronic fullness in ear
- Sharp and momentary pain especially when chewing
- May experience a sense of hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo
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Microtia
- Very Small Auricle
- Usually nothing more than deformed nubbins of tissue
- Grade 1: Smaller than normal but mostly normal anatomy
- Grade 2: Lower half of the ear looks normal; EAC may be normal or closed
- Grade 3: Peanut shaped skin and cartilage; No EAC
- Grade 4: Complete absence of Auricle and EAC
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Macrotia
Very Large Auricle
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Hematoma
- Usually cased by severe blunt trauma
- If left untreated can cause "Cauliflower Ear"
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Pre-Auricular Cyst
Small cyst just anterior to the helix and just above the tragus
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Basal Cell Carcinoma
- Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
- Caused by sun exposure or other ultraviolet radiation
- Growth on the skin
- Treated through surgery
- Doesn't normally cause a hearing loss
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Squamous Cell Carsinoma
- Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
- Caused by exposure to sunlight or other ultraviolet radiation
- Growing bump that may have a rough surface
- Removed through surgery
- Usually no hearing loss
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Melenoma
- Most damgerous type of skin cancer
- Caused by changes in the skin cells that make melanin
- Treated through surgery
- Usually does not cause a hearing loss
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Keloids
- Growth of extra scar tissue where skin has healed after injury
- Treated through surgery, laser, injections, radiation
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Cauliflower Ear
- Swelling of the auricle
- Caused by multiple traumas to the ear
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Atresia
- EAC has not formed;may be cartilage, bone, or both
- Best treated if only cartilage is involved
- If middle ear is involved may cause 50-60 dB hearing loss
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Stenosis
Narrowing of the EAC
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Collapsing EAC
- Cartilage becomes floppy
- Pushing on the helix of the auricle causes opening of EAC to close
- Traps wax within the ear
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External Otitis
- Infection of EAC skin also called "Swimmer's Ear"
- Caused by moisture, perspiration, staph infections
- Changes acidity level of the EAC
- Symptoms: Swollen/draining/tender canal, painful tragus, itching
- Treatment: Eardrops and Earwicks (long pieces of cotton that get the medicine down
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Malignant Otitis Externa
- Can cause bone infection and death
- Treatment: topical and systematic antibiotics
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Osteomas
- Bony tumors in the EAC
- Treatment depends on how it is interfering with sound transmission
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Exostoses
- Outward bony projections usually seen on the inner 2/3 of the canal
- Treatment depends on how it is interfering with sound transmission
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Cerumen
- Build up can cause conductive hearing loss
- Must know if the Tm is in tact
- Remove wax; may require softening drops, irrigation, or removal with special tubes
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Perforation of TM
- Build up of pressure in the middle ear
- Infections
- Pointed objects
- Excessively loud noises
- Usually heal in a few weeks
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Tympanosclerosis
- Caused by long term Otitis Media
- White scar tissue seen on the eardrum
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Retracted Tympanic Membrane
- Eardrum is concave (pulled back)
- Caused by middle ear infections; fluid in the middle ear
- Treated by tubes in the ear
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Serous Otitis Media
- Fluid in the middle ear that can usually be seen through the TM
- Treatments: tubes for drainage
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