Hearing is one of the important senses. It is with the help of it that we perceive the slightest changes in the world around us, we hear alarm signals warning of danger. The organ of hearing is very important for all living organisms, although there are some that do without it.
In humans, the auditory analyzer includes the outer, middle and inner ear, from them the information goes through the auditory nerve to the brain, where it is processed. In the article, we will dwell in more detail on the structure, functions and diseases of the outer ear.
Structure of the outer ear
The human ear consists of several sections:
- Outdoor.
- Middle ear.
- Internal.
Outer ear includes:
- Auricle.
- Ear meatus.
- Eardrum.
Starting with the most primitive vertebrates that had hearing, the structure of the ear gradually became more complicated. This is due to the general increase in the organization of animals. For the first time, the outer ear appears in mammals. In nature, there are somebird species with auricles, such as the long-eared owl.
Auricle
The human outer ear begins with the auricle. It consists almost entirely of cartilaginous tissue with a thickness of about 1 mm. Only the earlobe does not have cartilage in its structure: it consists of adipose tissue and is covered with skin.
The outer ear has a concave shape with a curl on the edge. It is separated by a small depression from the internal antihelix, from which the auricle cavity extends towards the ear canal. A tragus is located at the entrance to the ear canal.
Ear meatus
The next department that has the outer ear, - ear canal. It is a tube 2.5 cm long and 0.9 cm in diameter. It is based on cartilage, which resembles a gutter in shape, opening up. There are santorian fissures in the cartilage tissue, which border on the salivary gland.
Cartilage is present only in the initial section of the passage, then it passes into the bone tissue. The ear canal itself is slightly curved in a horizontal direction, so when examining a doctor, the auricle is pulled back and up in adults, and back and down in children.
Inside the ear canal there are sebaceous and sulfuric glands that produce earwax. Its removal is facilitated by the chewing process, during which the walls of the passage oscillate.
The ear canal ends with the tympanic membrane, which blindly closes it.
Eardrum
Connects the outer and middle ear tympanicmembrane. It is a translucent plate with a thickness of only 0.1 mm, its area is about 60 mm2.
The tympanic membrane is located slightly obliquely relative to the ear canal and is drawn in the form of a funnel into the cavity. It has the greatest tension in the center. Behind it is already the middle ear.
Features of the structure of the outer ear in infants
When a baby is born, his hearing organ is not yet fully formed, and the structure of the outer ear has a number of distinctive features:
- The ear is soft.
- The earlobe and curl are practically not expressed, they are formed only by 4 years.
- There is no bone in the ear canal.
- The walls of the passage are located almost side by side.
- The tympanic membrane is horizontal.
- The tympanic membrane is the same size as an adult's, but much thicker and covered with a mucous membrane.
The child grows, and with it the development of the organ of hearing occurs. Gradually, he acquires all the features of an adult auditory analyzer.
Functions of the outer ear
Each department of the auditory analyzer performs its function. The outer ear is intended primarily for the following purposes:
- Receiving sound waves.
- The auricle contributes to the concentration of sounds that come from different sides of space.
- The external ear amplifies the sound signal.
- The protective function is reduced toprotection of the eardrum from mechanical and thermal influences.
- Keeps constant temperature and humidity.
Thus, the functions of the outer ear are quite diverse, and the auricle serves us not only for beauty.
Inflammatory process in the outer ear
Quite often, colds end with an inflammatory process inside the ear. This problem is especially relevant in children, since their auditory tube is short, and the infection can quickly penetrate the ear from the nasal cavity or throat.
All inflammation in the ears can manifest itself in different ways, it all depends on the form of the disease. There are several types:
- Otitis externa.
- Medium.
- Internal.
You can only cope with the first two varieties at home, but internal otitis media requires inpatient treatment.
If we consider otitis externa, it also comes in two forms:
- Limited.
- Diffuse.
The first form occurs, as a rule, as a result of inflammation of the hair follicle in the ear canal. In some ways, this is a normal boil, but only in the ear.
The diffuse form of the inflammatory process covers the entire passage.
Causes of otitis media
There are a lot of reasons that can provoke an inflammatory process in the outer ear, but among them the following are often found:
- Bacterial infection.
- Fungal disease.
- Allergic problems.
- Incorrect ear hygiene.
- Trying to remove ear plugs by myself.
- Foreign bodies.
- Viral in nature, although very rare.
Cause of outer ear pain in he althy people
It is not at all necessary that if there is pain in the ear, the diagnosis is "otitis media". Often such pain can also occur for other reasons:
- Walking in windy weather without a hat can cause ear pain. The wind exerts pressure on the auricle and a bruise forms, the skin becomes cyanotic. This condition resolves fairly quickly after exposure to a warm environment and no treatment is required.
- Ear pain is also a frequent companion for swimmers. Because water enters the ears during exercise and irritates the skin, it can lead to swelling or otitis externa.
- Excessive accumulation of wax in the ear canal can cause not only a feeling of congestion, but also pain.
- Insufficient excretion of sulfur by the sulfur glands, on the contrary, is accompanied by a feeling of dryness, which can also cause pain.
As a rule, if otitis media does not develop, all discomfort in the ear passes on its own and does not require additional treatment.
Manifestations of otitis externa
If the doctor diagnoses damage to the ear canal and auricle, the diagnosis is otitis externa. Its manifestations may be as follows:
- Pain can be of different intensity, from very subtle to interferingsleep at night.
- This state can last for several days, and then subside.
- In the ears there is a feeling of congestion, itching, noise.
- During the inflammatory process, hearing acuity may decrease.
- Because otitis media is an inflammatory disease, body temperature may rise.
- Skin near the ear may become reddish.
- When pressing on the ear, the pain intensifies.
Inflammation of the external ear should be treated by an ENT doctor. After examining the patient and determining the stage and severity of the disease, drugs are prescribed.
Therapy of limited otitis media
Treatment of this form of the disease is usually performed surgically. After the introduction of an anesthetic drug, the boil is opened and the pus is removed. Already after this procedure, the patient's condition improves significantly.
You will have to take antibiotic drops or ointments for a while, for example:
- "Normax".
- "Candibiotic".
- Levomekol.
- Celestoderm-B.
Usually, after a course of antibiotics, everything returns to normal, and the patient recovers completely.
Therapy for diffuse otitis media
Treatment of this form of the disease is carried out only conservatively. All medications are prescribed by a doctor. Usually the course includes a set of measures:
- Taking antibacterial drops, such as Ofloxacin, Neomycin.
- Anti-inflammatory drops "Otipax" or "Otirelax".
- Antihistamines("Citrine", "Claritin") help relieve swelling.
- NPS are prescribed to relieve pain, for example, Diclofenac, Nurofen.
- To increase immunity, the intake of vitamin-mineral complexes is indicated.
During treatment, it must be remembered that any warming procedures are contraindicated, they can only be prescribed by a doctor at the stage of recovery. If all the doctor's recommendations are followed and the full course of therapy is completed, then you can be sure that the outer ear will be he althy.
Treatment of otitis in children
In babies, the physiology is such that the inflammatory process very quickly spreads from the nasal cavity to the ear. If you notice in time that the child is worried about the ear, then the treatment will be short and uncomplicated.
Doctor doesn't usually prescribe antibiotics. All therapy consists in taking antipyretic drugs and painkillers. Parents can be advised not to self-medicate, but to follow the doctor's recommendations.
Drops that are bought on the recommendation of girlfriends can only harm your child. When a baby is sick, the appetite usually decreases. You can’t force him to eat, it’s better to give him more to drink so that toxins are removed from the body.
If the child is too often over ear infections, there is reason to talk to the pediatrician about vaccination. Many countries already do this vaccine, it will protect the outer ear from inflammation caused by bacteria.
Prevention of inflammatory diseases of the external ear
Any inflammation of the outer earcan be prevented. To do this, you need to follow only some simple recommendations:
- Proper ear hygiene. You need to clean with ear sticks, but you can’t insert them into the ear more than half a centimeter, so as not to move the wax even further.
- Never use pins, hairpins, matches to clean your ears.
- If you have wax plugs, do not try to remove them from your ear yourself.
- Children need to be careful not to put anything in their ears, which happens quite often.
- During water procedures, it is desirable to protect the ears from getting water into them. This recommendation applies especially to open water swimming.
- Strengthen immunity, because very often otitis media appears as a complication of a cold.
If pain in the ear does not cause much concern, this does not mean that you should not see a doctor. Running inflammation can turn into much more serious problems. Timely treatment will allow you to quickly cope with otitis externa and relieve suffering.
