Today we are going to talk about something very important in our lives. That is our hearing. Sometimes we don't think about it much, but hearing helps us a lot in knowing what is going on around us, in talking to others, in all of this, doesn't it? So, today we will understand exactly what this hearing is and how it happens.
What does hearing really mean? (Auditory Processing)
Simply put, hearing is the ability to perceive sounds and understand what they mean. In medicine, we call this auditory processing . It is a very complex process. The different parts of your ear and the auditory nervous system work together in an amazing way to make us perceive sounds.
What parts of our ears help us hear sounds?
There are several main parts inside our ears that help us hear sound. Only when all of these parts are working properly can we hear sound clearly. Let's take a look at what they are:
- Outer Ear
- Middle Ear
- Inner Ear
- Auditory Nervous System
What is the Outer Ear?
The outer ear consists of the earlobe that you can see outside and the hole that goes into the ear, called the ear canal . Your pinna is like a funnel. It collects the sounds around you and sends them inside through the ear canal.
How does the middle ear work?
In the middle ear is your eardrum , which is the ``Tympanic Membrane'', and three very small bones. We call these bones ossicles . To be precise, they are the ``Malleus, Incus, Stapes'' bones. The eardrum is located at the end of the ear canal. These ossicles, which are on the other side of the eardrum, conduct sound vibrations to the inner ear.
What is inside the inner ear?
Inside the inner ear is a small structure that looks like a snail's shell. We call it the cochlea . The inside of this cochlea is filled with very fine hair cells . When sound vibrations reach these hair cells, they send signals to our auditory nerve .
What is the Auditory Nervous System?
The auditory nerve runs from your cochlea to a special center in the brain stem (called the nucleus). From there, the nerve impulses travel to the side of your brain, the temporal lobe . That's where the brain interprets the sound.
How do we hear? How this process happens
Each of the above parts of the ear contributes to this complex process called hearing. Let's see how this happens step by step:
1. Sound waves travel through your ear canal and hit your eardrum. The eardrum then begins to vibrate .
2. These vibrations travel from the eardrum to the small bones in the middle ear, called the ossicles .
3. These vibrations are sent from the ossicles to the cochlea, a snail-shaped organ in the inner ear filled with hair cells.
4. Then those fine hair cells are vibrated and send messages to the brain via the auditory nerve .
5. Finally, your brain takes this information and interprets it as sound. Simply put, it's the brain that makes us feel like we're hearing.
What conditions can affect our hearing?
There are various conditions, diseases, and illnesses that can affect our hearing. Let's take a look at a few of them:
- Aging: Hearing naturally declines as we age. Years of exposure to loud noise, various diseases, and some medications can all contribute to age-related hearing loss.
- Ear Hazards: Putting things like cotton swabs inside the ear can cause the eardrum to burst. A hard blow to the ear, or even a head injury, can cause fractures inside the ear. Just think, some people habitually put cotton buds in their ears, now you understand how dangerous that is, right?
- Diseases: Diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes can reduce blood supply to the ear and auditory system, increasing the risk of hearing problems.
- Medications: Some medications, for example, some cancer treatment drugs, can cause hearing loss.
- Exposure to loud noise: Long-term exposure to loud noises can damage the delicate structures in your inner ear, causing hearing loss. This can happen gradually (for example, in a person who works in a factory for years), or it can happen suddenly (for example, when using guns or setting off fireworks). The more you are exposed to noise, the greater your risk of hearing loss. However, noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable . It can be prevented by wearing earplugs or earmuffs.
- Earwax: It is normal to have cerumen in the ear canal, which provides protection to the ear. However, sometimes too much cerumen can accumulate and block sound from reaching the eardrum. This can also cause hearing loss. In such cases, a doctor can remove the cerumen properly and restore hearing.
When should I see a doctor?
If you suddenly experience hearing loss, even in one ear, see a hearing care provider immediately . It is important to seek medical advice within the first 72 hours to reduce the risk of complications, such as permanent hearing loss.
Hearing specialists are different from your typical family doctor (Primary Care Physician - PCP). They are:
- Audiologist: A healthcare provider who diagnoses and treats non-medical hearing and balance problems.
- Otolaryngologist (ENT): A doctor who treats diseases related to your ear, nose, and throat .
- Otologist: A doctor who specializes in ear health and medical and surgical treatments related to the ear or hearing.
If you notice a change in your hearing, or if you hear a muffled sound, be sure to see a hearing care professional for advice. Hearing loss can sometimes happen gradually. So it's a good idea to get your hearing checked regularly. This is especially important if someone in your family has hearing loss.
How do audiologists check for hearing loss?
An audiologist will give you an audiogram . In this test, the doctor will have you listen to different sounds through headphones. You will press a button when you hear a sound. The results will tell you how well you can hear. This test is done in a soundproof booth in the doctor's office.
How can I keep my ears healthy?
Here are some things you can do to take care of your ears:
- Use earplugs or earmuffs during loud activities, such as concerts, riding motorcycles or snowmobiles, and working with loud machinery. Imagine, some of our young people wear headphones and listen to music at maximum volume. How much damage can that do to their ears?
- When listening to music with headphones or earbuds, keep the volume low enough to hear people around you. Another good rule of thumb is to not listen to music at more than 80% volume for more than 90 minutes a day.
- Do not put anything inside your ear. Not only cotton swabs, but also hairpins and keys are dangerous. These can get stuck in the ear canal or burst the eardrum.
- Avoid smoking. Smoking can interfere with blood circulation and damage hearing.
- Exercise regularly to prevent diseases that affect hearing, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
- If you have a chronic illness, manage it well to prevent further damage.
What is Auditory Perception?
Simply put, auditory perception is the ability to recognize sounds, understand them, and give them meaning.
Why do we need to listen?
Hearing helps you to be aware of your surroundings and connect with the world. Imagine if we heard a car horn while driving down the road, we would immediately pay attention to it, wouldn't we? Also, hearing the voices of our loved ones, enjoying a song, all of these things require hearing.
Hearing is one of the five basic human senses. It’s a complex process that we use every day, but we don’t think about it much. Many people have difficulty hearing. In fact, more than 37 million adults in the United States alone are said to have some degree of hearing loss. Today, there are many treatments and devices that can improve your hearing, such as hearing aids , cochlear implants , and bone anchored implants . There are also resources that can help people with hearing loss communicate better. If you have difficulty hearing, talk to a doctor about it.
So, what are the most important things we learned today? (Take-Home Message)
So, we've talked a lot about hearing today. Here are some key things to remember:
- Hearing is a very complex and essential part of our lives.
- All parts of our ear, including the outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, and auditory nerve system, help with this.
- Aging, ear injuries, certain diseases, medications, loud noise, and earwax can all affect hearing.
- If you suddenly experience hearing loss, see a doctor immediately.
- Avoid listening to loud music or putting anything in your ears. Use earplugs.
- It's a good idea to get your hearing checked regularly, especially if someone in your family has these problems.
Your ears are a precious asset you have been given. So it's your responsibility to take good care of them!
` Hearing, hearing, structure of the ear, hearing loss, eardrum, cochlea, auditory nerve
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