Introduction

With aging, the walls of the external auditory canal thin and the skin becomes drier (contributing to itching). Because the number of cerumen glands and the activity of apocrine sweat glands decrease, cerumen becomes drier and more likely to accumulate. The cartilage of the external auditory meatus can become more collapsible with aging, leading to narrowing of the external meatus. A collapsing canal can, in turn, lead to rapid cerumen accumulation and ear canal obstruction. The tympanic membrane thickens and widens. Degenerative changes occur in the joints of the ossicular chain but do not seem to affect hearing. Age-related changes in the inner ear cause a decline in auditory and vestibular function. Because of these various age-related changes, itching of the canal, cerumen accumulation, tinnitus, hearing loss, and vertigo are common among the elderly. The incidence of other ear disorders (eg, external otitis, serous otitis media, chronic suppurative otitis media, tympanic membrane perforation, cholesteatoma, otosclerosis, benign tumors) is similar in elderly and younger people. Most malignant ear tumors are more common among the elderly.

This topic was last updated June 2006.