Anatomy of Human Ear

anvil - (also called the incus) a tiny bone that passes vibrations from the hammer to the stirrup. cochlea - a spiral-shaped, fluid-filled inner ear structure; it is lined with cilia (tiny hairs) that move when vibrated and cause a nerve impulse to form. eardrum - (also called the tympanic membrane) a thin membrane that vibrates when sound waves reach it. Eustachian tube - a tube that connects the middle ear to the back of the nose; it equalizes the pressure between the middle ear and the air outside. When you "pop" your ears as you change altitude (going up a mountain or in an airplane), you are equalizing the air pressure in your middle ear. hammer - (also called the malleus) a tiny bone that passes vibrations from the eardrum to the anvil. nerves - these carry electro-chemical signals from the inner ear (the cochlea) to the brain. outer ear canal - the tube through which sound travels to the eardrum. pinna - (also called the auricle) the visible part of the outer ear. It collects sound and directs it into the outer ear canal semicircular canals - three loops of fluid-filled tubes that are attached to the cochlea in the inner ear. They help us maintain our sense of balance. stirrup - (also called the stapes) a tiny, U-shaped bone that passes vibrations from the stirrup to the cochlea. This is the smallest bone in the human body (it is 0.25 to 0.33 cm long).

Function of Ear -The ears role is to convert sound waves into nerve impulses, which are transmitted to the brain where they are interpreted as sounds.

Mechanism of Hearing -The human ear consists of three major parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. - Sound waves entering the outer ear travel through the ear canal to the eardrum, a thin membrane that stretches across the inner end of the canal. -Changes in air pressure cause the eardrum to vibrate; these vibrations are transmitted to a chain of three tiny bones in the middle ear called ossicles. These bones conduct vibrations across the middle ear to a second thin membrane known as the oval window, which separates the air-filled middle ear from the fluid-filled inner ear. -Deep inside the inner ear, and resting on the basilar membrane, is a spiral structure called the cochlea that houses the essential organ of hearing the corti. -When the basilar membrane vibrates, tiny, sensory hair cells inside the corti bend, which stimulates the transmission of nerve impulses to the brain. Hearing Loss
-When the ear is exposed to high sound-pressure levels even for short periods of

time, the listener experiences a type of hearing loss known as "temporary threshold shift." -Prolonged exposure to high sound-pressure levels kills the very fine hair cells, progressively impairing hearing. Damage to a few may not cause noticeable impairment, but as more of them are killed off the brain will not be able to compensate for the loss of information. This results in a condition known as "permanent threshold shift." Usually by the time the listener becomes aware of the loss, considerable and irreparable damage has already occurred. The result: a form of sensory-neural hearing loss.

Signs and Symptoms -History of earaches or ear infections Having to ask others to repeat Complaints that other people mumble Struggling or straining to hear Talking too softly or too loudly Favoring one ear or turning one ear to the person talking Monopolizing conversations (avoiding the need to listen / hear) Difficulty locating the source of sounds Difficulty distinguishing between sounds Having to face the person talking to understand what is being said, or the need to have visual cues Frequently misunderstanding others' words (getting the wrong word) A pattern of gradual withdrawal from social activities because of difficulty hearing n or radio

-Symptoms that can accompany hearing impairment due to ear infections include fever, ear pain, fullness in the ear, chills and a discharge for the ear. -Symptoms that can occur with hearing impairment due to Meniere's disease or labyrinthitis include tinnitus, vertigo, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. -Symptoms that can accompany hearing impairment due to barotrauma include ear pressure, ear pain, tinnitus and dizziness. -Symptoms that can occur with hearing impairment due to ruptured eardrum include ear pain and ear bleeding. -Symptoms that can occur with hearing impairment due to earwax blockage include plugged ear and tinnitus

Causes of Hearing Loss -Heriditary inherited from parents - Acquired from illness : 1 ) Otosclerosis is a disease involving the middle ear. It affects the movement of the tiny bones in the middle ear. Otosclerosis can cause a conductive type of hearing loss. This condition is often surgically treatable. 2) Mnire's disease affects the inner ear.. It usually begins between the ages of 30 and 50. A person with Mnire's disease will often have a combination of sensorineural hearing loss, dizziness (vertigo), ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and sensitivity to loud sounds. Some people with Mnire's disease report mild symptoms, but for others the symptoms are much worse. The hearing loss comes and goes, but over time some loss becomes permanent. 3) Autoimmune inner ear disease. This sudden-onset hearing loss is fast, dramatic, and should be medically treated as soon as possible. With swift medical treatment, the hearing loss from this disease can be reduced. - Ototoxic Medication : eg, Aminoglycoside antibiotics (such as streptomycin, neomycin, or kanamycin), Salicylates in large quantities (aspirin), Loop diuretics (lasix or ethacrynic acid), Drugs used in chemotherapy regimens (cisplatin, carboplatin, or nitrogen mustard) -Very loud noise : can cause permanent hearing loss. This is called noise-induced hearing loss. Listening to loud noise for long periods of time can damage the hair cells in the inner ear. Noiseinduced hearing loss usually develops gradually and painlessly. A single exposure to an extremely loud sound such as an explosion can cause a sudden loss of hearing. This is called acoustic trauma.. -Tumor : Acoustic neuroma is an example of a tumor that causes hearing loss. Symptoms can include hearing loss or ringing in one ear accompanied by a feeling of fullness. Treatment for acoustic neuroma is medical. -Physical head injury : can lead to traumatic brain injury (TBI), skull fractures, a hole in the eardrum, and damage to the middle ear structures, resulting in hearing loss. - Aging Process : Presbycusis is a sensorineural hearing loss that occurs gradually later in life. The condition affects hearing in both ears over time. Speech begins to sound muffled or unclear because the ability to hear high pitch sounds is thefirst to go.

Damage to the inner ear. Aging and prolonged exposure to loud noise may cause wear and tear on the hairs or nerve cells in the cochlea that send sound signals to the brain. When these hairs or nerve cells are damaged or missing, electrical signals aren't transmitted as efficiently, and hearing loss occurs. Higher pitched tones may become muffled to you. It may become difficult for you to pick out words against background noise. A gradual buildup of earwax. Earwax can block the ear canal and prevent conduction of sound waves. Earwax blockage is a cause of hearing loss among people of all ages. This causes conductive hearing loss, which usually can be restored with earwax removal. Ear infection and abnormal bone growths or tumors. In the outer or middle ear, any of these can cause hearing loss. Ruptured eardrum (tympanic membrane perforation). Loud blasts of noise, sudden changes in pressure, poking your eardrum with an object and infection can cause your eardrum to rupture and affect your hearing.