Now hear this!
No matter where you are or what you are doing,
your ears are always working - even during sleep.
Our ears are constantly detecting, deciphering
and analysing sounds from the environment around
us and communicating them to the brain, where
a decision is taken as to how to react to the
sound.
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The ear is able to recognise
at least 400,000 different sounds, matching
them up against those stored in the memory
banks
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In addition to its remarkable sensitivity the
human ear is capable of responding to the widest
range of stimuli of any of the senses.
How Does the Ear Work?
The ear is divided into three 'compartments': outer, middle and inner ear.
The outer ear collects sounds. The middle ear is a pea sized, air-filled
cavity separated from the outer ear by the paper-thin eardrum. Attached to
the eardrum are three tiny ear bones. When sound waves strike the eardrum,
it vibrates and sets the bones in motion that transmit to the inner ear.
The inner ear converts vibrations to electrical signals and sends these signals
to the brain.
A healthy middle ear contains air at the same
atmospheric pressure as outside of the ear, allowing
free vibration. Air enters the middle ear through
the narrow Eustachian tube that connects the
back of the nose to the ear. When you yawn and
hear a pop, your Eustachian tube has just sent
a tiny air bubble to your middle ear to equalize
the air pressure. This often happens during take-off
and landing in an aircraft.
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The human ear can cope
with an incredible range of sound. Your
ear can, in fact, cope with a 10,000,000,000,000-fold
difference in loudness.
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Our ears are very delicate organs and need to
be cared for and protected from harm. As they
are exposed to the external environment, they
are also susceptible to infection and other conditions.
While some ear conditions can be self-treated,
others, if left undiagnosed and untreated, can
lead to irreversible hearing impairment or deafness.
Below are some of the most common conditions
that can affect the ears.
Earwax
Earwax (also known as cerumen) is produced by special glands in the outer part
of the ear canal and is designed to trap dust and dirt particles keeping
them from reaching the eardrum. Earwax also serves to coat the skin of the
ear canal where it acts as a temporary water repellent. The absence of earwax
may result in dry, itchy ears.
Most of the time the ear canals are self-cleaning;
that is, there is a slow and orderly migration
of ear canal skin from the eardrum to the ear
opening. Old earwax is constantly being transported
from the ear canal to the ear opening where it
usually dries, flakes, and falls out. Sometimes,
however, earwax can accumulate inside the ear
and is one of the most common and easily treatable
causes of hearing loss.
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What are the symptoms of
excessive earwax?
- Partial hearing loss
- Tinnitus, noises in the ear
- Earache
- Fullness in the ear or a sensation
the ear is plugged.
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Should I clean the wax out of my ears?
Using cotton swabs or other small objects to remove earwax is not recommended
as it pushes the earwax deeper into the ear, increasing build-up and affecting
hearing.
Also, the skin of the ear canal and the eardrum
is very thin and fragile and is easily injured.
However, if you do want to clean your ears, you
can wash the external ear with a cloth over a
finger, but never insert anything into the ear
canal.
How do I treat earwax?
Visit your pharmacist who can recommend a suitable OTC treatment to loosen
the wax, making it easier to remove. Most cases of earwax blockage respond
to these treatments. However, if you have been diagnosed with a hole in your
ear drum (perforated eardrum) or think that you may be suffering from one,
do not use any OTC treatments without first consulting your Doctor, as this
could cause more serious problems.
When Should I See My Doctor?
If you have tried OTC treatments to remove the wax but still feel that there
is a blockage, visit your Doctor who may prescribe stronger eardrops and
then mechanically remove the wax using a syringe.
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The human ear can detect
a difference of just two degrees in the
direction of a sound source
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Perforated Eardrum
A perforated eardrum is a hole or rupture in the eardrum, a thin membrane that
separates the ear canal and the middle ear.
Symptoms
- Earache or ear discomfort
- Hearing loss in the affected ear (may not
be complete loss of hearing). The amount of
hearing loss experienced depends on the degree
and location of perforation
- Drainage from the ear (may be clear, pus,
or bloody)
- Ear noise/buzzing.
If you think you may have a perforated eardrum,
visit your Doctor, who will look in your ear
with a device called an otoscope. If the eardrum
is punctured, the doctor will see an opening
in it, and may even see the bones of the middle
ear.
Treatment
Sometimes a perforated eardrum will heal spontaneously, however there are things
you can do to protect the ear from infection and relieve any discomfort during
the process:
- OTC pain relief remedies will help make the
ear more comfortable
- Keeping the ear warm can also help relieve
discomfort. Try placing a warm, dry flannel
over the ear
- Cotton balls should be placed in the ear
while showering or shampooing to prevent water
entering the ear.
In more serious cases, surgery to repair the
hole may be necessary as further problems can
occur if water or bacteria enter the middle ear
through the hole.
Otitis Media
The most common cause of hearing loss in children is otitis media, the medical
term for a middle ear infection or inflammation of the middle ear. This condition
can occur in one or both ears and primarily affects children due to the shape
of the young Eustachian tube.
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Otitis media is the most
frequent diagnosis for children visiting
a physician
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Symptoms
Acute otitis media is an infection that produces pus, fluid, and inflammation
within the middle ear.
- Older children will often complain about
ear pain, ear fullness, or hearing loss
- Younger children may demonstrate irritability,
fussiness, or difficulty in sleeping, feeding,
or hearing
- Fever may be present in a child of any age.
These symptoms are frequently associated with
signs of upper respiratory infection, such as
a runny or stuffy nose or a cough.
When left undiagnosed and untreated, otitis
media can lead to infection of the mastoid bone
behind the ear, a ruptured eardrum, and hearing
loss. If treated appropriately, hearing loss
related to otitis media can be alleviated.
Treatment
The standard treatment for simple otitis media is a course of antibiotics,
which will be prescribed following a visit to your Doctor. However, even
after effective antibiotic treatment, 40% of children may retain non-infected
residual fluid in the middle ear that can cause some temporary hearing loss.
This may last for 3 to 6 weeks after the initial antibiotic therapy.
There are another two types of otitis media that are more serious. Otitis media
with effusion (presence of middle ear fluid for 6 weeks or longer from initial
infection) and chronic otitis media (when infection persists for more than
2 weeks). The treatment of these conditions may require the care of an ear,
nose, and throat (ENT) specialist.
Otitis externa - infection of the ear canal
between the ear drum and the outside of the ear
- is another common condition in children, and
often occurs when too much water gets in the
ear such as after swimming or showering, as this
can remove protective ear wax making it easier
for germs to grow. The condition is potentially
serious but can usually be treated very successfully
with topical antibiotics.
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The ear can pick out
and focus in on a particular sound or conversation
in a roomful of noise.
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Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the medical name for "ringing
in the ears," which includes noises ranging
from loud roaring to clicking, humming, or buzzing.
Most tinnitus comes from damage to the microscopic
endings of the hearing nerve in the inner ear.
The health of these nerve endings is important
for acute hearing, and injury to them brings
on hearing loss and often tinnitus.
Hearing nerve impairment and tinnitus can also be caused by blood pressure,
kidney function, diet, or allergies and is often a natural accompaniment of
advancing age. Exposure to loud noise is probably the leading cause of tinnitus
damage to hearing in younger people.
Treatment
If you think you may be suffering from tinnitus, go and see your Doctor who
will try to determine what is causing the problem and will treat it accordingly.
Treatments for tinnitus involve one or more of the following:
- Alternative Treatments eg. ginkgo biloba
and homoeopathic remedies
- Amplification (Hearing Aids)
- Biofeedback - relaxation techniques to reduce
stress-related tinnitus
- Cochlear Implants/Electrical Stimulation
- mask the tinnitus or stop it temporarily
- Cognitive Therapy - treats the emotional
reaction to tinnitus
- Drug Therapy
- Masking - low level sound that reduces perception
of tinnitus.
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