Tinnitus and the Inner Ear
17/07/2010 00:40
Author: Earl Landrum
To get a better understanding of tinnitus, why it occurs, and how it can be treated effectively, knowing the basics of the human ear and hearing can be beneficial. This third part of a three article series explains the basics of the inner ear, how it functions, what can go wrong to precipitate tinnitus, and what can be done about it. The other two articles deal with tinnitus and the outer ear and the middle ear. Having said that, let's get right to the inner ear.
Up to this point, we have traced the movement of sound waves through the air, then gathered by the pinna, funneled through the auditory canal, at the end of which the sound energy impacts the eardrum. The sound waves vibrate the tympanic membrane or ear drum, and the sound energy is passed on to the ossicles of the middle ear, the malleus, incus, and stapes. Those ossicles or tiny bones leverage the vibrations, amplifying and focusing the sound energy, which is then transferred to the cochlea of the inner ear.
Until they reach the inner ear, the sound vibrations travel through air which is much easier than traveling through liquid, but when the sound reaches the inner ear, it encounters a fluid medium for the first time. Overcoming the greater inertia or resistance of the denser fluid medium of the inner ear is the reason for the amplification of the sound energy performed by the ossicles of the middle ear. And here in the inner ear the way that the sound continues its journey to the brain changes significantly.
The shape of the inner ear gives the inspiration for the name of its major part, the cochlea, which means literally "snail" or "spiral shell." Inside the cochlea the mechanical vibrations are converted into electrical nerve impulses which are sent to the brain to be interpreted as the sounds we can recognize.
When we get inside the cochlea, we find three fluid filled tubes. Two of those canals, the tympanic and vestibular canals, receive and transfer the energy from the stapes of the middle ear as it exerts force upon the oval window of the cochlea. The third canal, the cochlear duct, houses the sensitive organ of Corti which detects pressure impulses and responds by sending out electrical impulses which travel along the auditory nerve to the brain. These three canals or ducts fit together in the curved cochlear shape. Separating these ducts is a thin membrane called the basilar membrane.
The basilar membrane functions as a base for the sensory cells of hearing, the hair cells of which there are about 20,000. It is these hair-like receptor cells that create the electrical impulses in response to the various frequencies of sound energy traveling through the cochlea. Then, the organ of Corti which is situated on the basilar membrane, serving a microphone like function, sends those electrical impulses down the auditory nerve to the brain to be processed as recognizable sounds.
If the inner ear did nothing else but carry out its roll in hearing, we could be amazed enough, but the inner ear also functions to keep the head and body in balance. While other operations of the body also support balance, such as sight and muscle input, it is the vestibular system of the inner ear that serves the main role for keeping the body in balance.
The vestibular system has three essential parts: the utricle, the saccule, and the 3 semi-circular canals or ducts. The utricle and saccule keep track of the head's position continually. That function is important for keeping the head in line with the body. Both the utricle and saccule operate by being sensitive to gravity and acceleration. The utricle keeps track of horizontal movement, and the saccule keeps track of vertical movement. Working together, these two tiny organs keep track of head movement in all three dimensions, and keep the brain informed, and that helps us to keep our head aligned and our bodies in balance.
The way these little organs function is yet another wonder. The utricle and saccule are filled with thick fluid in which calcium carbonate particles are suspended. They are also lined with tiny hair-like receptors. When the head moves, gravity causes the weight of the particles in the fluid to press upon the hairs, which in turn send signals down nerve fibers to the brain, and the brain interprets the motion. The brain can then tell whether only the head is in motion or the whole body. Of course, the brain receives input from other sources, such as the eyes and muscles, but it is the vestibular system that is chiefly responsible for keeping the head and body balanced.
Simultaneously, the three semi-circular ducts are performing much the same function as the utricle and saccule. Yet, instead of concentrating on the position and movement of the head, they track the movement and orientation of the body overall. These three semi-circular ducts are called, superior, posterior, and external. These canals or ducts are all perpendicular to each other, so that they are aligned with all three spatial dimensions, taking into account any motion that is forward or backward, left or right, or up or down, or any combination of motions. The semi-circular canals work pretty much the same way that the utricle and saccule work. They are fluid filled and have the hair-like sensory cells that react to movement by sending electrical impulses to the brain.
The inner ear is constantly working, performing all of these functions, whether we are aware of it or not. To maintain our sense of balance, we depend on the vestibular system to gather motion information and send it on to the brain. The brain then processes the information, making sense of all the competing signals, and sends out signals of its own to the muscles in order to keep us in balance.
When balance problems and tinnitus symptoms are experienced together, Meniere's disease which accounts for nearly one percent of tinnitus cases is often indicated. Yet, a much more common cause of tinnitus that develops within the inner ear is acoustic trauma that damages the sensitive hair cells of the cochlea, otherwise known as noise-induced hearing damage. Nearly all acoustic trauma can be prevented, except for freak, accidental exposure to excessively loud noise, by choosing to avoid loud sound environments, or by wearing ear muffs or ear plugs to protect our hearing. For ringing in ears due to acoustic trauma, a good holistic tinnitus treatment regimen offers the best opportunity for a lasting tinnitus cure.
Up to this point, we have traced the movement of sound waves through the air, then gathered by the pinna, funneled through the auditory canal, at the end of which the sound energy impacts the eardrum. The sound waves vibrate the tympanic membrane or ear drum, and the sound energy is passed on to the ossicles of the middle ear, the malleus, incus, and stapes. Those ossicles or tiny bones leverage the vibrations, amplifying and focusing the sound energy, which is then transferred to the cochlea of the inner ear.
Until they reach the inner ear, the sound vibrations travel through air which is much easier than traveling through liquid, but when the sound reaches the inner ear, it encounters a fluid medium for the first time. Overcoming the greater inertia or resistance of the denser fluid medium of the inner ear is the reason for the amplification of the sound energy performed by the ossicles of the middle ear. And here in the inner ear the way that the sound continues its journey to the brain changes significantly.
The shape of the inner ear gives the inspiration for the name of its major part, the cochlea, which means literally "snail" or "spiral shell." Inside the cochlea the mechanical vibrations are converted into electrical nerve impulses which are sent to the brain to be interpreted as the sounds we can recognize.
When we get inside the cochlea, we find three fluid filled tubes. Two of those canals, the tympanic and vestibular canals, receive and transfer the energy from the stapes of the middle ear as it exerts force upon the oval window of the cochlea. The third canal, the cochlear duct, houses the sensitive organ of Corti which detects pressure impulses and responds by sending out electrical impulses which travel along the auditory nerve to the brain. These three canals or ducts fit together in the curved cochlear shape. Separating these ducts is a thin membrane called the basilar membrane.
The basilar membrane functions as a base for the sensory cells of hearing, the hair cells of which there are about 20,000. It is these hair-like receptor cells that create the electrical impulses in response to the various frequencies of sound energy traveling through the cochlea. Then, the organ of Corti which is situated on the basilar membrane, serving a microphone like function, sends those electrical impulses down the auditory nerve to the brain to be processed as recognizable sounds.
If the inner ear did nothing else but carry out its roll in hearing, we could be amazed enough, but the inner ear also functions to keep the head and body in balance. While other operations of the body also support balance, such as sight and muscle input, it is the vestibular system of the inner ear that serves the main role for keeping the body in balance.
The vestibular system has three essential parts: the utricle, the saccule, and the 3 semi-circular canals or ducts. The utricle and saccule keep track of the head's position continually. That function is important for keeping the head in line with the body. Both the utricle and saccule operate by being sensitive to gravity and acceleration. The utricle keeps track of horizontal movement, and the saccule keeps track of vertical movement. Working together, these two tiny organs keep track of head movement in all three dimensions, and keep the brain informed, and that helps us to keep our head aligned and our bodies in balance.
The way these little organs function is yet another wonder. The utricle and saccule are filled with thick fluid in which calcium carbonate particles are suspended. They are also lined with tiny hair-like receptors. When the head moves, gravity causes the weight of the particles in the fluid to press upon the hairs, which in turn send signals down nerve fibers to the brain, and the brain interprets the motion. The brain can then tell whether only the head is in motion or the whole body. Of course, the brain receives input from other sources, such as the eyes and muscles, but it is the vestibular system that is chiefly responsible for keeping the head and body balanced.
Simultaneously, the three semi-circular ducts are performing much the same function as the utricle and saccule. Yet, instead of concentrating on the position and movement of the head, they track the movement and orientation of the body overall. These three semi-circular ducts are called, superior, posterior, and external. These canals or ducts are all perpendicular to each other, so that they are aligned with all three spatial dimensions, taking into account any motion that is forward or backward, left or right, or up or down, or any combination of motions. The semi-circular canals work pretty much the same way that the utricle and saccule work. They are fluid filled and have the hair-like sensory cells that react to movement by sending electrical impulses to the brain.
The inner ear is constantly working, performing all of these functions, whether we are aware of it or not. To maintain our sense of balance, we depend on the vestibular system to gather motion information and send it on to the brain. The brain then processes the information, making sense of all the competing signals, and sends out signals of its own to the muscles in order to keep us in balance.
When balance problems and tinnitus symptoms are experienced together, Meniere's disease which accounts for nearly one percent of tinnitus cases is often indicated. Yet, a much more common cause of tinnitus that develops within the inner ear is acoustic trauma that damages the sensitive hair cells of the cochlea, otherwise known as noise-induced hearing damage. Nearly all acoustic trauma can be prevented, except for freak, accidental exposure to excessively loud noise, by choosing to avoid loud sound environments, or by wearing ear muffs or ear plugs to protect our hearing. For ringing in ears due to acoustic trauma, a good holistic tinnitus treatment regimen offers the best opportunity for a lasting tinnitus cure.
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