The ear or hearing-sense is a complex and intricate process
The ear is made up of three sections:
The outer ear
The middle ear
The inner ear
These parts work together so you can hear and process sounds
The outer ear, or pinna (the part you can see), picks up sound waves and the waves then travel through the outer ear canal
When the sound waves hit the eardrum in the middle ear, the eardrum starts to vibrate
When the eardrum vibrates, it moves three tiny bones in your ear
These bones are called the hammer (or malleus), anvil (or incus), and stirrup (or stapes)
They help sound move along on its journey into the inner ear
The vibrations then travel to the cochlea, which is filled with liquid and lined with cells that have thousands of tiny hairs on their surfaces
The sound vibrations make the tiny hairs move
The hairs then change the sound vibrations into nerve signals, so your brain can interpret the sound
Test your hearing
Signs that you have a hearing problem include:
Having a problem hearing over the telephone
Trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time
People complain that you turn the TV volume too high
Having to strain to understand conversations
Missing hearing some common sounds like the phone or doorbell ring
Having trouble hearing conversations in a noisy background, such as a party
Getting confused about where sounds come from
Misunderstanding some words in a sentence and needing to ask people to repeat themselves
Especially have trouble understanding the speech of women and children
Many people you talk to seem to mumble, or don’t speak clearly
People get annoyed because you misunderstand what they say
Misunderstanding what others are saying and make inappropriate responses
Avoiding social activities because you cannot hear well and fear you’ll make improper replies
A family member or friend thinks you have a problem hearing
Common risk factors for hearing problems
People who worked in noisy environments (such as assembly lines, construction sites, or near jet engines)
People with a history of ear infections
Those with a family history of hearing problems
What can you do to improve your hearing?
Eliminate or lower unnecessary noises around you
Let friends and family know about your hearing loss and ask them to speak slowly and more clearly
Ask people to face you when they are speaking to you, so you can watch their faces and see their expressions
Utilise sound amplifying devices on phones
Use personal listening systems to reduce background noise
Tips to maintain hearing health
If you work in noisy places or commute to work in noisy traffic or construction, choose quiet leisure activities instead of noisy ones
Develop the habit of wearing earplugs when you know you will be exposed to noise for a long time
Wear earplugs if you work in a noisy environment – earplugs quiet about 25 dB of sound and can mean the difference between a dangerous and a safe level of noise
Try not to use several noisy machines at the same time
Try to keep television sets, stereos and headsets low in volume
