← Return To Knowledge Base

Ear Infection – Presence and growth of bacteria or viruses usually in the middle ear.

Ear Wax (Cerumen) – Yellow secretion from glands in the outer ear canal that keeps the skin of the ear canal dry and protected from infection.

Earache – Pain in the ear can have many causes. Some of these are serious, some are not serious.
Otitis media (middle ear inflammation) – Inflammation or infection of the middle ear (behind the eardrum). Usually, this is caused by an infection.

Ear Canal – The external auditory meatus. The hole in the temporal bone that tunnels the sound from the pinna to the eardrum (tympanic membrane).

Eardrum – The tympanic membrane. A thin layer of skin that separates the ear canal from the middle ear cavity. The eardrum converts sound waves into vibrations.

Earhook – A portion of a Behind–The–Ear hearing aid that is designed to bend over the top of the ear and connect the aid’s casing to the tubing.

Earmold – The part of a behind-the-ear hearing aid that fits into the ear and directs sound from a BTE hearing aid into the ear canal.

Eng (Electronystagmography) – A special series of tests utilized to evaluate the vestibular system during which eye movements are measured electro physically.

Equilibrium – A body’s ability to maintain physical balance by using vestibular, visual and proprioceptive (sense of touch) input.

Etiology – In hearing terms, the source or cause of a hearing loss.

Eustachian Tube – A small connection between the throat and the middle ear cavity which in the normal human ear system is utilized to equalize the pressure in the middle ear cavity to the pressure in the atmosphere surrounding the body.

Eustachian Tube Dysfunction – When the tube that connects the throat and the middle ear cavity becomes inflamed or blocked. Eustachian tube dysfunction can lead to negative pressure, fluid in the middle ear, and/or middle ear infections.

Exostosis – A bony growth in the ear canal.

External ear – part of the auditory system comprised of the pinna and external auditory meatus.