Can You See Grommets in the Ear? London ENT Guide If you've recently had grommets fitted — or your child has — it's natural to want to look in the ear afterwards and check that "it's still there." Many patients in London, East London, Brentwood and across Essex ask their GP or ENT clinic some version of the same question: can you actually see a grommet in the ear? Mr Gaurav Kumar, Consultant ENT Surgeon , is frequently asked this in clinic, and the honest answer is: usually not much, and that is completely normal. What is a grommet? A grommet, also known as a tympanostomy tube or ventilation tube, is a tiny tube inserted into the eardrum (tympanic membrane) during a short surgical procedure called a myringotomy. Its job is to allow air into the middle ear and let trapped fluid drain, helping to correct hearing loss caused by conditions such as otitis media with effusion (commonly known as glue ear) or recurrent ear infections. Although grommets are most often...
Are labyrinthitis and vertigo the same? The ear has three main parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, with small bones of hearing, and the inner ear, consisting of the labyrinth. The labyrinth has two parts as well, hearing processing part and balance part. When you get an infection in the inner ear, it is often called labyrinthitis. Common symptoms for Labyrinthitis are hearing loss or vertigo, however, there are also other causes for vertigo as well. What is the most important thing to remember when you have labyrinthitis symptoms? In the first few hours of symptoms, it is difficult to know between stroke and labyrinthitis. If you have vertigo and notice one side of your face becoming droopy, your arms or leg become weak and speech becomes slurred, you should call for urgent help. What is the difference between labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis? If you only have vertigo symptoms, then it is due to vestibular neuritis. Vestibular neuritis oc...