Previous Stories Hidden Ear Dangers More than 7-million American kids have some hearing loss. Constant ear infections are one of the leading causes. Long after the infection is gone, a hidden danger may be lurking in the ear. And it can have effects that last a lifetime. 17 month old Kate Riordan is your typical, adorable toddler. Rabecca, your typical first time mom, going through all the phases new moms go through, including ear infections. Rabecca Riordan/Kate's mother - "Actually she's had 10, so she was actually having one every 3 to 4 weeks." Rabecca became concerned after Kate's tenth ear infection in just 9 months! Rabecca Riordan - "We went to a doctor every time and it got to be "uh, what antibiotic haven't we given her?'" After 30 straight days of antibiotic therapy, Kate's ear infections seem to be over, but Rabecca has reason to worry about infections and their future link to a potentially dangerous condition called 'Cholesteatoma'. Dr. Thomas Balkany/Univ. of Miami Ear Institute - "Any time an ear infection doesn't clear up right away, patients should be their own best advocate and and insist on seeing an ear specialist, I think, and having a hearing test done." Dr. Thomas Balkany sees first hand the destruction Cholesteatoma can cause to the ear and surrounding areas. Dr. Balkany has diagnosed and surgically treated hundreds of patients with these benign growths. Symptoms can include ear pain, dizziness and ear fullness. The lasting effects of Cholesteatoma can be serious. Dr. Thomas Balkany - "Aggressive Cholesteatomas will erode into the brain. They'll erode through the structures of the inner ear and cause deafness and dizziness. They will erode the nerve that operates the face causing paralysis of the face." Angie Hain/Cholesteatoma patient - "It was really painful. Just a weird, weird pain. strong and it just felt funny. Everything, my ear especially, you know, when you wake up, the morning, it just felt different." Angie Hain says the pain from her Cholesteatoma was so intense she was popping 3 pain relievers every 4 hours. She claims her doctor found nothing wrong, but still tried 4 different antibiotics, hoping to clear up her symptoms. Finally, Angie got help from Dr. Balkany. Angie had two surgeries for her Cholesteatoma. Typically, the doctor will perform the first operation to remove the destructive growth. He may also remove the tiny hearing bones found in the middle ear if they've been damaged. Patients usually have at least one more surgery within a year to make sure that there is no re-growth. Dr. Thomas Balkany - "If the bones of hearing have been destroyed, they can be replaced in most cases with prostheses, little tiny prostheses to conduct sound waves into the inner ear. We usually have to make a new ear drum for our patients as well." While Angie is thrilled that now she is Cholesteatoma free, she has strong advice for parents who don't take ear infections seriously. Angie Hain - "When you have little ones, and they have a lot of ear infections, have it checked out and put them on antibiotics and usually when you have kids, they say you have to bring them back in 10 days to see if the infection is clear...do it! A recent study by the CDC found that 15-percent of kids ages six to nineteen suffer hearing loss in the upper and lower frequencies. Lower-frequency hearing loss is associated with repeated ear infections." Home | Upcoming Stories | Previous Stories |Survey | About Healthy Living | E-Mail

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