Ears
Hear. Whatever you hear - the hum of a computer, your children can play, a car by - thanks to your ears.
Hearing is its main task, but it is not all to do our ears. These sensitive organs also need care and protection so let's take a look at how they work and what conditions and problems can affect them.
All About Ears
There is a lot more to an ear than what you see on the side of the head. The outer ear, middle ear and inner ear: The ear consists of three different parts that work together to collect and forward them made sounds to the brain.
The outer ear, the part that is visible on the side of the head, is called the outer ear, or pinna. It is made of tough cartilage covered by skin. The pinna most important task is to collect sounds and funnel them to the ear canal, the middle ear. The pinna, which contains the earlobe is the part that people wear to pierce earrings.
The ear canal, wherein the hollow channel to the tympanic membrane, is also part of the auricle. Glands in the skin along the ear canal produces ear wax that protects the canal by cleaning dirt and helps prevent infections.
The middle ear is an air-filled cavity the size of a pea. It turns sound waves into vibrations and delivers it to your inner ear. The middle ear is separated from the outer ear by the tympanic membrane or tympanic membrane, a thin, cone-shaped piece of fabric stretched over the ear canal.
To hear properly, the pressure on both sides of the eardrum must be equal. If you are going to go or in the height, can the changes in air pressure and you feel a feeling as popping your ears adjust. The ears are capable because of the narrow tube, the middle ear to the back of the nose, and functions as a kind of pressure relief valve opens in order to adjust to keep the pressure equalized on either side of the membrane.
The middle ear contains the three smallest bones in the body, just behind the eardrum and the ossicles collectively known. The ossicles consist of:
the hammer (Latin for "Hammer"), which is attached to the eardrum
the anvil ("anvil") that is attached to the hammer
the stirrup ("U"), which is fastened to the anvil and the smallest bones in the body
The inner ear consists of two tiny organs called the cochlea and the semicircular canals. The snail-shaped cochlea act as a kind of microphone, converting the vibrations from the middle ear into nerve impulses to the brain along the cochlear nerve, also known as the traveling acoustic nerve.
The archways look like three tiny, interconnected tubes stuck in loops from the tip of the cochlea. It is their job to balance you. The channels are filled with fluid and inside with tiny hairs. If you move your head, sloshing the liquid in the channels, moving the hair. The hair of this position send information such impulses through the vestibular nerve to your brain. The brain interprets these impulses and sends messages to the muscles that help maintain balance.
If you spin around and stop, is the reason you feel dizzy, because the fluid in your semicircular canals continues to slosh around for a while, so that your brain the idea that you still spinning, even if you are not. When the fluid stops moving, the dizziness goes away.
The cochlear nerve, the sound information to the brain, and the vestibular nerve, the balance information is linked from the semicircular canals to the brain to the cochlea and relays, are collectively known as the vestibulocochlear or eighth Known cranial nerves.
How we hear
What is a sound?
When something vibrates, it makes a noise. Most of the sounds we hear and interpret are vibrations in the air (but it can happen in other gases, and in liquids or solids).
When an object or an object vibrates, it flexes in and out. The object moves, pushes against the air molecules around him. These molecules in turn press against the molecules next to them. The vibration created travels outward in this way, much like a wave or wave. This is a process called compression.
Turns into swinging while creating a drop in air pressure which draws in nearby air molecules to an object. This in turn creates an additional pressure drop that draws in the surrounding air molecules, and so on. This process is called dilution.
These waves of change in air pressure - compression and rarefaction - are what we hear as sound.
Where recognize Sounds Come From
When a sound wave reaches the ear, it is penned by the ear and led into the ear canal. The pinna is very distinctive shape and curves, helps us the direction a sound is coming from. Sounds come from different places bounce the ear differently. The brain can recognize and decide if the sound from the front or from behind comes the difference.
The two pinnae (ear plural) work together the left and right ears to determine whether a sound from the right or left side comes. A sound that is coming from the right, the right tympanic membrane earlier than the left. It also sounds a bit louder in the right ear. The brain compares the input from both ears, and uses this to decide on which side the sound came.
Once in the ear canal, sound waves vibrate the eardrum, which is very sensitive. The tensor tympani muscle, which is attached the eardrum keeps it taut. So the whole eardrum vibrates, no matter where it is hit by a sound wave. This allows the eardrum to detect even the smallest fluctuations in air pressure.
As the eardrum is moving back and forth through compressions and rarefactions of sound waves, the ossicles to move. Transmitting the movement of tiny bone and amplified sound waves into the cochlea.
The ear 'talks' to the brain
The cochlea is filled with liquid and contain thousands of tiny fibers. These fibers - which are short and stiff in some areas and longer and more flexible in others to decipher frequencies (pitches) - recognize movement of sound waves.
When sound waves travel into the cochlea, they reach the fibers and give off a burst of energy. This burst of energy is detected by something like the organ of Corti, a structure that lines the cochlea and contains thousands of tiny hair cells. When energy is released, it is strong enough to move the hairs.
Organ of Corti sends an electrical impulse to the brain telling it the hair (and how many) have been moved. This information helps the cerebral cortex determine the pitch and loudness of a sound. For example, when a person hears a loud noise, it is because a stronger burst of energy affected more of the hairs in the organ of Corti.
Things That Can Go Wrong with your ears
Can affect Given the external ear from exposure to the elements and the connection of the middle ear to the nose via the Eustachian tube, more than a few things and bring to the ear hearing loss. Fortunately, most of these conditions can be effectively treated if detected early.
Some of the most common ear problems are:
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). NIHL is hearing loss caused by too much exposure to loud noise can damage the hair cells in the cochlea brought. For children one of the main culprits is portable music players, video games though, can lead TV, cinema, transport, power tools, appliances and even some hearing loss. It can also be caused by a single exposure to very loud noise like an explosion or thunder. NIHL is almost 100% preventable if parents help protect their children's ears.
Otitis media. This infection of the middle ear is the most common cause of hearing loss in children. It can affect one or both ears and occurs when pus and mucus buildup behind the eardrum as a result of the Eustachian tube by allergies, a cold or infection of the upper airways blocked. Untreated otitis media can lead to a ruptured eardrum, hearing loss, and infection of the mastoid bone behind the ear.
Swimmer's ear. Also known as otitis externa, infection of the outer ear that occurs when water and bacteria get trapped in the ear canal. The bacteria can multiply in the warm, moist environment, leading to irritation and infection of the skin along the ear canal. This is a common problem for swimmers, but who bathes or showers influence.
Tinnitus. This ringing, buzzing, buzzing, roaring or clicking in the ears is a result of damage to nerve endings in the inner ear. This can happen naturally, as someone in old age or young people from exposure to loud noises. The effects of tinnitus can often be alleviated by medical treatment or hearing aids.
Cerumen (earwax) impaction. Earwax, also wax, dirt and dust known traps before they reach the eardrum. Normally, earwax dries and falls out of the ear or washed away. But sometimes it can build up and plug the inside of the ear canal (known as "impaction") and cause hearing loss. Fortunately, physicians and nurse practitioners can usually handle this type of hearing loss simply by washing away the wax. Because earwax can get affected, doctors recommend never using cotton swabs in the ear canal as this can push wax deeper into the ear canal and make it out harder.
Broken (or perforated) eardrum. A puncture or rupture of the tympanic membrane is sometimes accompanied by pain, discharge from the ear and hearing impairment. Ruptured eardrums often heal on their own, but sometimes surgery is needed to repair the fracture. If your child has a ruptured eardrum, to talk to a doctor, how to protect it from the water and bacteria while it heals.
Cholesteatoma. Can someone with this type of cyst that are born affects the middle ear, but it usually occurs as a complication of chronic otitis media. If the Eustachian tube is not functioning properly, it can cause negative pressure in the middle ear, the eardrum moves into the middle ear and the creation of a cyst or bag that can be filled with dead skin cells and other waste and become infected. Surgery is required to remove the cyst, but if the condition is not treated, the infection on the brain, with severe complications including facial paralysis, numbness in the affected ear and meningitis.
Meniere's disease. Meniere's disease causing problems with balance and hearing. It occurs when part of the semi-circular canals (endolymphatic sac) swells what is. Onto the motion of the fluid in the channel and sends a wrong signal to the brain about body position and balance Consequences of Meniere's disease, which can produce severe dizziness, can occur without warning and held daily or as infrequently as once a year. The exact cause of Meniere's disease are unknown, but some treatments and lifestyle changes may help relieve symptoms.
Injuries, burns and frostbite. Exposed to the elements, as they are, ears are all sorts of minor injuries. Usually it's no big deal, but an injury to the outer ear or ear canal can cause bleeding and infection, which can lead affect other parts of the ear. In addition, a direct blow to the ear, such as a car accident or sports injury, tear the eardrum, dislocate the ossicles, or damage to the inner ear. Repeated requests to the ear may bruising and blood clots that disrupt blood flow to the cartilage of the ear and cause damage to their form and structure, a condition called cauliflower ear.
Protect your child's ears
There is an old saying, how you should never keep anything in your ear except your elbow. It should be fun, but there is a kernel of truth. Can scratch holding things like cotton buds into your ears and nails the ear push wax deeper into the ear canal and the eardrum even break. If you find yourself having trouble removing earwax from your child's ear canal, seek the help of a doctor.
Child protection hearing is mostly a matter of common sense. You can by convincing your kids turn up the volume on the stereo and TV and to start especially on portable music players. If you know that they are exposed to loud (at a concert, car racing, construction sites, etc.) noises, make sure you bring protection for your ears (like earplugs or earmuffs / headphones).
When children are out in the sun for an extended period, do not forget to put sunscreen on the ears to prevent them from getting burned. Similarly, when children will be out in the cold for a long time, make sure they bring warm hats that cover the ears to protect against frostbite.
Many children today - girls and boys alike - to pierce their ears decide. If your child has done this, you should consider a few things. Piercings should always be performed by reputable, well-trained practitioners in clean, hygienic environment. Areas of the ear piercing should be washed daily with a saline solution or triple antibiotic ointment and earrings must be rotated at least twice a day to open the holes while they heal. Ear piercings usually takes about 6 to 8 weeks to heal. Pierced ear cartilage takes 4 months to a year to heal completely.
If your child has a hearing loss or hearing, contact your doctor immediately. Depending on the cause, hearing loss may be irreversible. But if treated early hearing can often be minimized.