Hearing Facts: Some Important Facts About Ears!

Everything in this world creates a different set of sounds, and most of these sounds we can instantly recognize by hearing.

The pitter-patter of raindrops, cooing of birds, clinking of keys, chiming of bells, whistling of the wind, all these are just a fraction of sounds that we hear almost every day. Our ear contains the smallest bone present in our entire body, called stapes or stirrup, and is part of a tiny bone structure called the ossicles.

Ossicles form an entrance for the sound waves traveling through the fluid of the ear canal to reach the inner ear, and through the head to the brain, which makes hearing possible.

Ears play an important role in keeping our balance by collecting and processing information in the brain received from joints and body receptors, including hair cells, which is vital for directional changes and movement speed.

It takes about six weeks into pregnancy for ears to start developing in the fetus.

Hearing Aids

As we age or sometimes due to accidents, disease, loud noise, or medication, we might develop hearing loss.

Science has been effective in providing us with an electronic device to help people with this hearing loss. It is a battery-powered device called a hearing aid and increases the magnitude of sound, so it's easier to hear in noisy situations as well as the quiet ones. It is worn behind or in the ear.

The device has a microphone to catch the sound waves, then an amplifier is placed which magnifies the sound, and lastly, there is a receiver that transfers the amplified sound waves to the user’s ear.

Mostly, this device is for people with hearing damage, but even one person in every five might have some improvement in their hearing condition.

Hearing devices and aids are recommended after a hearing test from a professional. There are many services that can provide these tests.

Hearing Structure

The ear has three different parts: the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. The outer ear has a small tube called the ear canal. The ear canal has a lining of tiny hair and also glands that secrete wax for protection.

The visible part of the ear is called the pinna or auricle, and is made up of cartilage, not bones. The outer ear serves as a medium of soundwaves transfer and as protection for the inner ear.

The next portion is the middle ear, which is small and is a gateway to the inner ear. This portion has three miniature bones called malleus, incus, and stapes. This part allows soundwaves to travel to the eardrum, but this portion is spacious, serving as a way for ear infection.

Ear infections are very common and may occur due to uncleaned earwax. Too much ear wax can also cause hearing loss in the ears. You can clear the ear yourself, but self cleaning needs to be done carefully.

The inner ear is the area that maintains balance and contains the labyrinth. This portion of the ear contains the hearing organ, the cochlea, which relays sound to the brain and is responsible for hearing.

The vestibular system is also in the inner ear and contains fluid-filled channels that aid balance.

Hearing Loss

 Sound is a major part of our life, and hearing loss is the number three most common health problem in the U.S. and it can affect our lives, including relationships, quite seriously.

Hearing loss is the condition where one or more portions of the ear are not working as they are supposed to. This could be for a number of different reasons, like aging, medication, or some sort of damage in an accident.

Hearing loss also has three variations: damage in the middle ear or the outer ear is conductive, problems in the inner ear are called sensorineural, and a problem that involves a mixture of the above conditions is called mixed hearing loss.

Children from a young age today have become used to ever-present noise. Children live among loud sounds throughout their life which may irritate their ears, and need to be protected from very loud noise, to prevent hearing loss.

Regular visits to hearing service providers are recommended. It is best to listen to your children, to find out if they have hearing loss. Services can determine whether hearing aids may be needed.

Causes Of Hearing Loss

A most common cause of hearing loss is long-term exposure to noise, especially sound above 60 decibels, which is the normal hearing sound level.

There are also many different types of drugs, medications, and chemicals that can induce hearing loss in adults and kids. The most common drugs are aspirin, malaria medication, antibiotics, erectile-dysfunction drugs, chemotherapy, and loop diuretics.

Many diseases can also lead to hearing loss, like high-blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, otosclerosis, and Ménière's disease. Trauma may also lead to hearing loss, and infection or blockage of the ear canal from earwax accumulation might lead to reduced hearing.

To talk and hear our loved ones is probably the best feeling in the world. But people might take the process and ability to hear for granted. We also expect to have that sense affected as we age and lose the ability to hear sharper sound.

If you suspect there might be something wrong with your ears, it's best to take the problem to the doctor for your benefit before the risk increases and you may end up needing a hearing aid.

Did you know?

• It is estimated that around 0.22% of the population in the U.S. is deaf, which translates to around 600,000 individuals.
• Around 71% of people aged over 670 are believed to experience hearing loss.
• A hearing loss of more than 40 decibels is regarded as deafness.
• Some scientists believe a lack of sleep can cause hearing loss.