Otosclerosis is a common cause of hearing impairment and is hereditary.
When otosclerosis is present in other places in the middle ear, it causes no symptoms. The disorder can be passed down from one generation to another, perhaps not manifesting itself for several generations. Since the condition is hereditary, diseases such as scarlet fever, ear infections, measles, and influenza have no relationship to its development. The external ear collects sound, the middle ear increases the sound pressure and transmits the sound to the inner ear which transforms the sound into nerve impluses. Sound waves normally pass through the ear canal and cause the ear drum to vibrate.