Aural Stenosis or Atresia

Aural atresia or stenosis occurs because a person was born with parts of the ear that didn't form correctly and don't work well. Other problems can happen later because of an injury or illness.

Hearing loss is usually due to sound not being able to enter into the inner ear structures. Common treatments special types of hearing aids or surgery (when your child is older) which emphasize voices and help kids hear better in noisy settings. With early treatment, most kids will be able to hear normally, and most importantly, will be able to develop speech and language.

Hearing aids are kind of like tiny amplifiers. They help make sounds louder and can even pick up the sounds so that what kids hear is clearer. Hearing aids deliver amplified sounds (via sound vibrations) to the inner ear or cochlea. Hearing aid technology is available that can adjust the volume of sounds automatically.

When your child is older, there is a device called an osssointegrated implant or there is surgery for ear canal and middle ear reconstruction. The implant is surgically placed behind the ear during an operation. The surgery involved creating a new ear canal and restoring a sound connection to the inner ear. These options should be discussed with your audiologist and ENT physician.