Health Information

Tinnitus is the term for hearing sounds that come from inside your body, rather than from an outside source. It's often described as "ringing in the ears", although several sounds can be heard, including: buzzing humming

Phantosmia' is the medical term for an imaginary odour (phantom smell). It is also known as an "olfactory hallucination". The smell is unique to the person and is usually unpleasant, spoiling the taste of any food or drink consumed.It can be in one or both nostrils.

Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder that prevents children speaking in certain social situations, such as school lessons or in public.

Ménière's disease is a rare disorder that affects the inner ear. It can cause vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of pressure deep inside the ear. People with Ménière's disease usually experience some or all of these symptoms during sudden attacks, which typically last around two to three hours, although it can take a day or two for the symptoms to disappear completely.

Laryngeal cancer is a type of cancer that affects the larynx (voice box). The larynx is part of the throat found at the entrance of the windpipe (trachea). It plays an important role in helping you breathe and speak.

Hearing loss is a common problem that often develops with age or is caused by repeated exposure to loud noises. Action on Hearing Loss estimates that there are more than 10 million (about 1 in 6) people in the UK with some degree of hearing impairment or deafness.

A person is deafblind if they have a combined sight and hearing impairment that causes difficulties with communication, access to information and mobility. These difficulties can occur even when hearing loss and vision loss are mild because the two senses usually work together and one would usually help compensate for loss of the other.

A cholesteatoma is an uncommon abnormal collection of skin cells inside your ear. Left untreated, it can continue to grow and damage the delicate structures deep inside your ear, such as the tiny bones and organs essential for hearing and balance.

Auditory processing disorder (APD) is a hearing or listening problem caused by the brain not processing sounds in the normal way.

Hearing tests are used to assess your ability to hear different sounds and to determine if there are any problems.

Aphasia is a condition that affects the brain and leads to problems using language correctly. People with aphasia make mistakes in the words they use, sometimes using the wrong sounds in a word, choosing the wrong word, or putting words together incorrectly.

Anosmia is the medical term for loss of the sense of smell. It's usually caused by a nasal condition or brain injury, but some people are born without a sense of smell (congenital anosmia).