Before-surgery guide
Getting Ready for an Ear Steroid Injection
Quick answer: An intratympanic steroid injection puts steroid medicine through the eardrum into the middle ear, to treat problems such as sudden hearing loss and some causes of vertigo. It is done in our office with numbing medicine. Afterward you lie on your side for 10 to 20 minutes, then keep water out of the ear for 1 week. The injection is often repeated.
How is the procedure done?
- Steroids are medicines that calm inflammation. They can be injected into the middle ear, the space behind the eardrum, to treat problems such as sudden hearing loss and some causes of vertigo.
- It is done in our office with local anesthesia. A numbing liquid is placed in the ear canal for several minutes.
- Looking through a microscope, we use a thin needle to inject the steroid through the eardrum into the middle ear.
- You then lie on your side for 10 to 20 minutes so the medicine can soak into the inner ear.
Our article on ear steroid injections explains when they are used.
What are the risks?
Serious or lasting problems are rare. We will go over the risks with you, and you can ask about any of them.
- Pain, bleeding and infection are risks of any procedure.
- Brief dizziness is common. Dizziness that lasts is rare.
- A hole in the eardrum that does not close.
- Hearing loss, ear fullness and ringing in the ear (tinnitus).
- Ear infection and drainage.
How do I get ready?
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Before the procedure
- Give us a list of every medicine, vitamin and supplement you take.
- If you take aspirin or a blood thinner, tell us. Do not stop it on your own; we will tell you whether you need to.
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Eating and drinking
- You can eat and drink as usual on the day of the procedure.
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The day of the procedure
- Plan for about 10 to 20 minutes of lying on your side after the injection.
- Bring your photo ID, insurance card and list of medicines.
What happens after the procedure?
- You stay lying on your side in the exam chair for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Keep water out of the ear for 1 week.
- Come to your follow-up visits as scheduled. The injection is often repeated.
When should I call?
Call us for
- You get sick in the days before the procedure
- You start a new medicine, or a doctor changes your blood thinner
- You have questions about the procedure or its risks, or you need to reschedule
- After the injection: dizziness that does not go away, ear drainage, or hearing that gets worse
Austin 512-339-4040 · Lakeway 512-682-4798 · Marble Falls 830-992-2830
Questions patients ask
The ear canal is numbed with a liquid anesthetic first. Most people feel pressure and sometimes brief dizziness.
About 10 to 20 minutes, on your side, so the medicine can soak into the inner ear.
The injection is often repeated. We will tell you how many we recommend for your condition.
This guide is for educational purposes only and does not replace an in-person evaluation. If your surgeon gave you different instructions, follow theirs.
Sources
- Chandrasekhar SS, Tsai Do BS, Schwartz SR, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline: Sudden Hearing Loss (Update). Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 2019;161(1 Suppl):S1-S45. PubMed