Hearing Loss And
Hearing Loss And How Your Ear Works Considering Its puny size, your ear Is an extraordinary Instrument. A sugar cube sized piece of equipment, you are able to distinguish all speech sounds along with another nearly half a million sounds.
Your ears main function Is to collect, process, and send sound to your brain. But that Is not all, those two small Intricate mechanisms that you have on the sides of your head are also responsible for keeping your balance. To easily understand how your ear works, you should get to know Its three main sections and the functions of these areas. The ear Is basically divided Into three sections: outer, middle, and Inner ear. These three parts are all connected to each other In order for you to process sounds In your brain. Outer Ear: Acoustic Catcher The outer ear has two parts, first Is the auricle or the pinna, which Is the visible external part of the ear, then the ear canal, which may also be called external auditory canal, or external auditory meatus. The main function of your outer ear Is to collect sounds, In the form of acoustic waves. If ever you lose your pinna from some accident, there’s no need to fret. Although having a pinna has high aesthetic value, It actually has little effect on hearing. The more Important part of your outer ear however Is your ear canal, which Is the tube that conveys sound waves Into your eardrum. The ear canal Is also where earwax Is produced. The canal Is lined with small hair that filters dust and protects the whole tube. In the end of the canal you would find the tympanic membrane or the eardrum, which separates the outer ear from the middle ear. Your eardrum Is a thin membrane that Is very sensitive to vibrations. When sound waves reach your eardrum, vibrations occur In the membrane. Middle Ear: Going Mechanical Your middle ear Is an air filled cavity located after the tympanic membrane. In this cavity you will find the smallest bones In your body known as the ossicles. The ossicles or ossicular chain Is a chain of three small bones that play an Important role In hearing. The three bones namely: malleus (hammer), Incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup), respectively. These three bones are named as such, since their shapes somewhat resemble their names. The eardrum Is connected to the malleus, which Is connected to the Incus, which Is then connected to the stapes. When sound waves make vibrations In your eardrum, your malleus Is pulled and pushed causing a chain reaction to the other two bones. The sound wave vibrations are then converted Into mechanical vibrations. The vibrations travel from your eardrum to your malleus, to your Incus, and then to your stapes. Lastly, your stapes Is then attached to the oval window of the cochlea, which marks the start of your Inner ear. Inner Ear: The Hydraulics In your Inner ear, you would find your cochlea, which Is a small, shell-shaped, curled tube. The oval window Is a thin membrane In the outer part of your cochlea where the stapes Is attached. Your cochlea Is filled with liquid, so when your stapes vibrates, your oval window vibrates too, the vibration Is then transferred to the liquid Inside your cochlea, making the liquid move. Your cochlea also contains tiny hair cells or cilia. These hair cells are very sensitive to movement. Your ear hair cells are connected to your eighth nerve that Is responsible In directing signals that are processed as sounds to your brain.
When the liquid In your cochlea moves, your hair cells, which are submerged Into this liquid also move. When movement stimulates your hair cells, they send signals to your brain through your eighth nerve. Thus, your brain Interprets these signals as sounds. Basically, that Is how your ear works one area affecting another. For the sound to have meaning, It would have to undergo a whole new different and complex process In your brain. Once your brain Is able to decode and put It together, then you have a meaningful message from the sounds you hear.
Causes and Symptoms of Hearing Loss Loss or Impairment Is described as the decrease In the ability of the ears and Its other parts to perceive as well as detect sounds. It can happen either suddenly or gradually. Impairment Is commonly observed In older adults but It can happen to anyone. It can range from being a mild to severe Impairment and It can also be temporary, permanent or reversible. There are different causes of Impairment each with Its own different symptoms. It all depends on what type of loss and what part or parts of the auditory system are affected. Conductive Loss This type of loss Is considered as a mild type of Impairment since the Inner ear will be able to compensate for the loss. With this type of loss, there will be no apparent problems In hearing as long as the sound Is loud enough and audible enough to be heard. This loss can be the result of ear canal obstruction, abnormalities In the ossicles or tympanic membrane. Sensorineural Loss The affected part Is the Inner ear specifically the cochlea. In the cochlea, there’s what Is called the organ of Corti that has hair cells. Abnormalities In these hair cells can lead to sensorineural Impairment. In terms of severity, sensorineural loss can be classified as mild, moderate or severe. Most often than not, this type of loss can become severe to a point where Impairment can lead to total deafness. Environmental Noise Environmental Noise Is one of the leading causes of Impairment and Is known as Noise Induced Hearing Loss. It has been observed that long term exposure to environmental noise can be detrimental to the auditory ability of a person. People who live near freeways and airports are more prone to have their ability to hear Impaired. Multimedia devices such as mp3 players are also known to cause Loss. It Is because headphones and earphones are nearer to the eardrums compared to the standard speakers. If exposed to these kinds of devices for a long time there Is a good chance that loss can occur. Genetic Some people may not know, Impairment Is genetic which means that It can be Inherited. This Illness Is passed through the descendants either through a dominant or a recessive gene. If It Involves the dominant gene, deafness can likely happen to at least one relative every generation. If It Involves the recessive gene, then It may skip generations but definitely, the risk of acquiring It Is still there. Treatments In the 1900s, the very first hearing aid was patented but was not popularly welcomed since most still did not acknowledge hearing loss as an Illness. A couple of decades after, people became aware of hearing loss and developed different ways of helping sufferers. Pictures and Images are sometimes used to convey message to people who have hearing loss. Although hearing aids already existed, not everyone could afford them. As technology grew, so did the opportunity to help people who were suffering Impairment. Aids became more affordable and more effective. Most of the time, when the cause of loss Is due to Infections, only antibiotics are given to fight off the bacteria. This usually solves the Impairment problem. The same can be done about Illnesses that affect the ability to hear. Other than the aids, modern technology has developed ways on how to help people with hearing disabilities. Two of these are called the Cochlear Implants and the Assistive Listening Devices. Cochlear Implants are given to those who have parts In their cochlear damaged. On the other hand, Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) work differently. The ALD acts like a receiver while a speaker uses signals and Inputs from a transmitter. Tests assess a person’s ability to hear and perceive sound. This Is done through measuring whether sounds are able to reach to the brain. These tests should be done regularly throughout your life, you can then eliminate sounds or places that are contributing to your loss. Their's a lot more Information about hearing loss available In my eBook "Dealing With Hearing Loss" more In depth methods of treatment and prevention are discussed In great detail. You can get your copy of the book HERE HealthBuy.com provides a full line of exlusive health and beauty products, and offer a wide range of natural health supplements and skin care products made only from the finest natural Ingredients available today. Click this link HealthBuy.com to visit their website. Click these links for: Improving Your Eyesight With Lasik Surgery
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