ABSTRACT
Deafness is a frustrating symptom. In children it creates educational difficulties and parental worry. In children it creates educational difficulties and parental worry. This chapter presents a discussion on the causes, diagnosis, and investigation of symptoms related to ear. It provides a general practitioner overview, differential diagnosis, possible investigations, and top tips for dealing with ear symptoms. The symptoms discussed are deafness, earache, ear discharge, and tinnitus. Tinnitus means noises heard (nearly always subjectively) in the ears or head. They are often described as being like a whistling kettle, an engine, or in time with the heartbeat. The differential diagnosis includes common, occasional, and rare causes of the symptoms.
