SUPERIOR SEMICIRCULAR CANAL DEHISCENCE (SSCD)

 Is a rare condition that affects the inner ear. In individuals with SSCD, there is a thinning or absence of the bone that normally covers the superior semicircular canal, one of the three fluid-filled canals in the inner ear responsible for balance.

CAUSES:

1. Congenital or developmental abnormalities: Some individuals may be born with a thinner or weaker bone covering the superior semicircular canal, making them more prone to developing SSCD later in life.
2. Structural variations: Certain anatomical variations in the skull or temporal bone, such as an abnormally thin or incomplete bony covering over the superior semicircular canal, may predispose individuals to SSCD.
3. Trauma: Head trauma or injury to the skull, such as a direct blow to the head, can potentially lead to the development of SSCD in some cases.
4. Age-related factors: SSCD is more commonly observed in middle-aged and older individuals, suggesting that age-related changes or degeneration of the bone may play a role in the development of the condition

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

1. Hearing-related symptoms:
   • Hearing loss: SSCD can cause varying degrees of hearing loss, particularly in low-frequency sounds.
   • Hyperacusis: Increased sensitivity to sounds, especially loud or low-frequency sounds.
   • Tullio phenomenon: Exposure to certain sounds or pressure changes may trigger vertigo or dizziness.
2. Balance and vestibular symptoms:
   • Vertigo: Episodes of spinning sensation or dizziness, which can be triggered by certain movements or sound stimuli.
   • Disequilibrium: Feeling off-balance or unsteady, even when not in motion.
   • Oscillopsia: Visual disturbances, where objects appear to bounce or move when the person moves their head.
   • Autophony: Hearing one's own voice or bodily sounds, such as breathing or eye movements, more loudly or distinctly than usual.
   • Tinnitus: Ringing, buzzing, or other abnormal sounds in the ear.
3. Ear-related symptoms:
4. Aural fullness: Feeling of pressure, fullness, or a blocked sensation in the affected ear.

DIAGNOSIS:

1. Medical history and symptom evaluation: Your healthcare provider will ask you about your symptoms, including any hearing loss, balance issues, and other related symptoms. Providing a detailed description of your symptoms and their onset can help in the diagnostic process.
2. Physical examination: This is including an examination of the ears, nose, and throat. They may also perform balance tests to assess your vestibular function.
3. Audiological evaluation: Audiological tests are conducted to assess your hearing function. Pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, and tympanometry are common tests used to evaluate hearing loss and the integrity of the middle ear.
4. Vestibular testing: Specialized tests may be conducted to evaluate your balance and vestibular function. These tests may include videonystagmography (VNG), which assesses eye movements, and/or electronystagmography (ENG), which measures the electrical activity of the inner ear.
5. Imaging studies: Imaging techniques (CT) scan or (MRI) may be used to visualize the temporal bone and detect any structural abnormalities or dehiscence in the superior semicircular canal

HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINE FOR SUPERIOR SEMICIRCULAR CANAL DEHISCENCE (SSCD)

1. Calcarea carbonica: This remedy may be considered for individuals who experience progressive hearing loss and have a tendency to perspire excessively, especially on the head. Craving for egg and aversion to meat. Fat, flabby, Leucophlegmatic with blond hair, light complexion, blue eyes, fair skin
2. Chininum sulphuricum: This remedy may be useful for hearing loss associated with noise exposure or after a history of ear infections. Violent ringing, buzzing, and roaring in ears, with deafness.
3. Kali iodatum: This remedy may be considered for individuals with chronic middle ear infections and hearing loss. Noises in ear. Boring pain in ears.
4. Lycopodium: This remedy may be helpful for individuals with hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears), especially if the symptoms are worse in the evening or after eating. Thick, yellow, offensive discharge. Eczema about and behind ears. Otorrhœa and deafness with or without tinnitus; after scarlatina. Humming and roaring with hardness of hearing; every noise causes peculiar echo in ear.
5. Pulsatilla: This remedy may be considered for individuals with hearing loss and a history of ear infections, especially if they experience shifting symptoms and a desire for fresh air. Sensation as if something were being forced outward. Hearing difficult, as if the ear were stuffed. Otorrhœa. Thick, bland discharge; offensive odor. External ear swollen and red. Catarrhal otitis. Otalgia, worse at night. Diminishes acuteness of hearing.