How does the hearing organ work?

Long story short, the senses are the ability to receive stimuli through the appropriate organs. Thanks to them, we feel the touch of the wind on our skin, we hear the sound of the sea and see ships sailing on it, and if we try seawater, we find that it is salty and smells like seaweed. People have five senses, all of which are part of the nervous system. One of them is hearing. How does this organ work?

Structure of the hearing organ 

The hearing organ consists of the outer, middle, and inner ear. Each of them has different functions and structures. Only the outer ear is visible to the naked eye and consists of the pinna and the outer ear canal. This outer part is also very important for proper hearing – its task is to pick up and forward sounds to the middle ear. 

The middle ear consists of components such as the membrane and the tympanic cavity, the ossicles, and the proboscis. It is a tiny space filled with air, the task of which is to transfer acoustic energy to the inner ear, which is why it turns it into a sound wave and, in this form, goes to the inner ear. 

In the inner ear, where the cochlea is located, the sound wave is converted into a nerve impulse transmitted to the cortical center in the brain, where it is recognized. 

Hearing frequency 

The human ear is able to register various sounds that differ in frequency. The lowest frequency that our ear can pick up is 16 Hz, but it works best with values from 1000 Hz to 3000 Hz. If the hearing organ is damaged in some way, there are disturbances in the proper recognition of sounds of a specific frequency, e.g., lower or higher frequency. When we find out what sounds our hearing system has a problem with, it is much easier to find the cause of this hearing loss. For this purpose, the frequency hearing test is recommended, which will first of all show if we have a problem with hearing certain sounds. 

How to take care of the hearing organ?

Our ears are actually very delicate organs that can easily be damaged if we do not care for them properly. Hearing loss can occur for many reasons, e.g., as a result of various diseases or injuries – both mechanical and acoustic. Acoustic injuries are the most common and can be acute or chronic. Our hearing also deteriorates with age, which is simply the result of the aging of the body. Some types of hearing loss can be treated – the sooner they are diagnosed, the better the results. 

Sometimes hearing impairment occurs much earlier, which is often associated with inadequate care for the hearing organ. Our ears are mainly damaged by excessive exposure to noise, untreated infections, and even improper hygiene. That is why frequency hearing tests should be done regularly as part of preventive measures, thanks to which we will notice the first signs of hearing loss much earlier. Every day we should also treat ourselves to a dose of blissful silence.

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