The Outer Ear: The Sound Catcher of Your Body
When you think of your ear, it is likely that you think of nothing more than the shelled portion located on the side of your head. That is known as the pinna, and it is only the very first part of this intricate construction of the ear. The pinna acts like a satellite dish, gathering audiometric pressure towards the ear canal. The sound waves then continue on to the eardrum, which is the first landmark for the middle ear.
There are many queries from our patients regarding ear wax in the ear and its concerns. It is true that this can be a nuisance sometimes, but there are reasons why people have ear wax other than attention-seeking. Some of our patients don’t appreciate ear wax, but we provide safe and effective ways to remove it.
The Middle Ear: Turning Sound into Movement
The middle ear, which is located right behind the ear drum, is a tiny cavity filled with air that has three little bones in it: the malleus, incus, and stapes. These are the smallest bones in the human body, but they perform a large task. They collaborate with each other to magnify the energy of the sound, where the vibrations are then transmitted into the inner ear.
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We frequently receive queries about the Eustachian tubes. These tubes connect the middle ear with the back of the neck, and as such, they assist in balancing the air pressure in the ears. This helps to explain why, during yawning or swallowing during a flight, a person may notice his or her ears sound like they are ‘popping.’
The Inner Ear: Where Sound Becomes Sensation
This is the part where the magic of hearing actually takes place – the inner ear. This is where these sound waves are converted into electrical signals that can be processed by the brain. The inner cochlea, which is spiral-shaped, has thousands of hair cells that are tuned to various pitches.
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Hearing problems, especially the age-old problem of presbycusis, tend to arise when these thin, delicate hair cells have been compromised in one way or the other. Therefore, we advocate and recommend why members of older populations should have their hearing checked more often.
