Life Sounds Great: Interesting facts about the ears

Friday, June 12, 2015

Interesting facts about the ears

There is much more to ears than the part you can see on the side of our head. Our ears help us detect sound. Ears convert sound waves into nerve impulses that are sent to the brain. While our ears pick up the sound, it is the brain that does the hard work of making sense of it all. Here are few interesting things about the ears and hearing.

The middle ear contains the Eustachian tube which helps equalize pressure and drain mucus.
Ear infections are more common in children because of their developing immune systems and differences between their Eustachian tubes and those of adults.
The inner ear is found inside the temporal bone, the hardest bone in the human body.
The inner ear contains the spiral shaped hearing organ called the cochlea as well as the balance part of the ear.
Sounds waves are passed from air to liquid in the inner air. The inner air also contains tiny hair cells which react to sound waves, triggering chemicals that are sent to the brain as nerve impulses.
Abnormalities in the inner ear of humans can cause deafness.
Skin glands in the ear canal produce ear wax which helps protect the ear by lubricating it and cleaning it of dirt and dust.
Excessive ear wax can impair hearing, especially if it is pressed hard against the eardrum.
Ear wax normally comes out of your ear naturally so it’s not a good idea to try and remove it yourself unless it is causing health problems (best to see your doctor first).