H74: Other disorders of middle ear and mastoid

H74.3: Other acquired abnormalities of ear ossicles

The ear is a sensory organ that is used to hear and to maintain one's balance. There are 3 different areas in the ear: the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. The middle ear begins behind the eardrum. It consists of the air-filled tympanic cavity and the 3 ossicles. The ossicles transmit sounds from the eardrum to the inner ear in the form of vibrations.

Your ossicles may no longer be able to move properly. One of your ossicles may also be missing.

Your ossicle disorder may be caused by the fact that you have repeatedly had inflammation in your middle ear.

When someone has an ossicle disorder, their hearing is usually worse than usual. They may also constantly hear a high-pitched sound. This is also known as tinnitus. Fluid may also be discharged from the ear.