Understanding how the ear functions |
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| The ear has three main parts: the outer, middle and inner ear. The outer ear (the part you can see) opens into the ear canal. The eardrum separates the ear canal from the middle ear. Small bones in the middle ear help transfer sound to the inner ear. The inner ear contains the auditory (hearing) nerve, which leads to the brain. Any source of sound sends vibrations or sound waves into the air. These funnel through the ear opening, down the ear, canal, and strike your eardrum, causing it to vibrate. The vibrations are passed to the small bones of the middle ear, which transmit them to the hearing nerve in the inner ear. Here the vibrations become nerve impulses and go directly to the brain, which interprets the impulses as sound (music, voice, a car horn, etc.).
Hearing loss may be a natural part of the aging process, but few of us want to admit to growing older. But perhaps the biggest problem is how we view hearing loss, both as a culture and as individuals. Hearing loss has always carried something of a stigma in comparison to failing eyesight, for example, as a society, we even tackle hair loss or impotence before hearing loss. Fortunately, that’s changing, fueled in part by your search for knowledge at sites like this one. So, congratulations on taking a step towards making hearing loss not just another topic in the healthcare forum. In this section, read on to learn how to spot the signs of hearing loss, in yourself or someone close to you. |