Does microtia affect hearing?

Does microtia affect hearing? The outer ear and auditory canal are called the external ear, and the outer part is called the inner ear. The yellow and small bones of the tympanic cavity are hollow. The tympanic cavity is the middle ear. This snail-shaped part is the inner ear. The Eustachian tube connects to the larynx. So this place sounds like this is an organ with a body surface shape, and of course, it has certain polyphonic functions. In this case, it is recommended to go to the hospital.

Common causes of microtia include:

1. Environmental factors: Long-term exposure to toxic substances in home decoration, air pollution, pesticides, etc. during the first three months of pregnancy may lead to microtia.

2. Genetic factors: Studies have found that the genetic incidence rate of patients with a family history of microtia is approximately 2%-3%;

3. Psychological factors: Psychological stress in pregnant women may also lead to microtia.

4. Maternal diseases: including influenza, herpes zoster virus infection, gynecological inflammation, placental abruption, placenta previa, multiple pregnancy, etc., the chance of microtia is relatively high.

Congenital malformation of the external ear is usually accompanied by atresia of the external auditory canal and incomplete development of the inner ear. In addition to the appearance, there are also hearing problems. If it is only on one side and the other side can hear normally, you can wait until the child is an adult before surgery. It is recommended that you go to the ENT department of a regular hospital for further examination. If both sides are accompanied by hearing loss, it is recommended to have surgery as soon as possible. If it is only unilateral external ear appearance deformity, you can wait until the child is older before surgery.

The clinical features of patients with congenital microtia mainly involve the auricle, external auditory canal and middle ear, while the inner ear is often not affected. According to the degree of deformity, the most commonly used clinical classification is three types:

Grade I: The size and shape of the auricle change, but the important surface landmarks of the auricle remain, and the external auditory canal is narrow. In severe cases, the external auditory canal is closed.

Grade II: The most typical, with only the vertical helix present, sausage-shaped, and the external auditory canal closed;

Grade III: Only a mass of skin and cartilage remains. In severe cases, the ear is missing.

There are more than ten types of middle ear developmental disorders in patients with congenital microtia, mainly developmental malformations of the auditory ossicles, tympanic muscles and facial nerves, and they are closely related to the severity of the external ear deformity. Congenital external ear malformations can manifest as one of the clinical symptoms of a sequence in severe cases, such as the oculo-auriculo-vertebral spectrum (OAVS). In addition to microtia, patients also suffer from hemifacial microsomia (hypoplasia of the temporal bones, maxilla or mandible), soft tissue malformations (preauricular growths or macrostomia), eyelid coloboma (eyelid coloboma, tarsal conjunctival epithelial cyst), spinal malformations, and congenital kidney and heart defects.