The Hearing Center: an Educator About the Ear

Many people take for granted the daily sounds their ears encounter: the wind blowing, a child laughing, the alarm clock going off. They also may not know how or why they hear or don't hear these important sounds around them. However, the audiologists and medical professionals in a hearing center work to educate their patients on the workings of the ear. The ear is composed of three main parts, all of which are important to its functioning.

The outer ear, which can also be called the pinna, is the visible part of the ear (the part that holds earrings). The job of the pinna is to collect sound waves. The concave shape allows for easy collection of these waves. The ear canal is also an important part of the outer ear. Once the sound waves are captured by the pinna, they begin to travel down into the ear via the ear canal.

These vibrations will eventually reach the middle ear. Composed of the eardrum and ossicles, it has a unique job. The eardrum works to turn the inaudible sound waves into vibrations. Once the sound waves have reached the eardrum, they cause it to vibrate, much like what happens when someone beats a real drum. The next stop is the ossicles, a group of very small bones. These bones work with each other simultaneously all day long to ensure that all of the vibrations are transferred to the inner ear.

The inner ear contains the cochlea. The cochlea is very important. Many patients in a hearing center are left with hearing problems due to damaged cochlea. Depending on the extent of this damage, cochlear implants may be used to regain some use of the inner ear, allowing for partial hearing restoration. The cochlea contains fluid, and this fluid moves as the vibrations become audible. The hairs that surround the cochlea also move as the vibrations reach them. The hairs and the fluid in the cochlea work together to create nerve signals. The nerve signals are then sent to the brain where they are decoded and registered as a specific sound. All of this happens instantaneously and occurs all day.

The inner ear also has another important job. It is what helps keep everyone balanced, so we stand upright instead of falling to the floor. The fluid in the inner ear lets the brain know what position someone is standing in. This allows for the brain to compensate by sending messages to engage specific muscles in the arms or legs.

Education is one of the key goals of a hearing center. It is extremely important that a patient understands the components of their ear. Whenever a patient knows what is going on in their body, it is much easier for them to comprehend what the audiologist is telling them. This allows patients to make the best possible decisions about their hearing treatments.