by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man wrote: My 87 year old mother has of late begun hearing music, conversations, and other noises which aren’t there. The examples you mentioned in your article describing ‘Musical Ear Syndrome‘ were exactly the situations she’s describing. I was ready to ascribe her hallucinations to her age, solitude and hearing […]
Ear Problems
Cholesteatoma—When’s the Right Time to Get It Removed?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man asked: A while ago a CT scan revealed I had a cholesteatoma in my left ear. I had the chance to be treated by two ENTs, but they had different takes on it. The first doctor, after seeing the scan results, immediately concluded that I needed surgery to remove […]
Can Taking Esomeprazole (Nexium) Cause Tinnitus?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man wrote: Is it possible that Nexium has caused my sudden bouts of tinnitus, first in my left ear, and a week later in my right ear? I was taking 40 mg twice daily for about 6-8 weeks. Is there a chance that it will go away after I discontinue […]
Are Ear Infections Making You Fat?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Here’s some interesting information from the Taste Lab at the University of Florida. Researchers there found that compared to the general population, overweight people tend to taste their food less intensely. In other words, sweet foods don’t taste as sweet to them. What’s this got to do with ears you ask? […]
Can Alcohol Cause Tinnitus?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man wrote: I have a question regarding alcohol. I recently visited an audiologist about my tinnitus after it got worse from a clubbing experience (first time it happened due to a club). I wore ear plugs and figured I’d be safe. She seemed convinced it was due the copious amounts […]
Large Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome and Mountain Travel
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A concerned mother asked: My daughter is 9 years old and she has been hearing impaired since she was about 2½. She has bilaterally enlarged vestibular aqueducts, and she also has only 1½ turns on her cochlea. My question is, do you think it would be safe for her to go […]