The organs of balance and hearing are a complex of structures that perceive vibrations, identify sound waves, and transmit gravitational signals to the brain. The main receptors are located in the so-called membranous cochlea and vestibule of the ear. The remaining structures that form the inner and middle ear are auxiliary. In this material, we will consider in detail the organs of hearing and balance, their analyzers.
Outer ear
It is represented by the external auricle - elastic cartilage tissue covered with skin. The outer earlobe is filled with fatty structure. Since the human external ear is practically immobile, its role is less significant than in animals, which find the source of the sound by guiding with their ears.
The development of the organ of hearing and balance has led to the formation of characteristic folds and curls in the external auricle of a person, which help to capture vertically and horizontally localized sounds.
The outer part of the auditory organ has a length of about 2.5-3.5 mm and a diameter of 6 to 8 mm. cartilage tissueexternal auditory canal smoothly passes into the bone. The inner surfaces of the outer ear are lined with epithelium containing sebaceous glands. The latter, in addition to fats, produce earwax, which prevents the body from being polluted with dust, small debris, and protects it from the reproduction of microorganisms.
Eardrum
It has the appearance of a thin membrane with a thickness of not more than 0.1 mm, which is located on the border of the outer and middle ear. Sound waves that are reflected from the convolutions of the auricle pass through the ear canal, causing the eardrum to vibrate. In turn, the generated signals are transmitted to the middle ear.
Middle ear
The basis of the middle ear is a small cavity, about 1 cm in volume3, which is located in the region of the temporal bone of the skull. It houses several auditory ossicles - the so-called stirrup, hammer and anvil. They act as miniature bone fragments that form the organ of hearing and balance. It is innervated by a set of corresponding nerves.
Inner ear
What does this organ of hearing and balance consist of? The histology of the inner ear is represented by the following elements:
- The bony labyrinth, consisting of the vestibule of the inner ear, the semicircular canals and the bony cochlea. These elements are filled with perilymph - a specific fluid that converts sound vibrations into mechanical vibrations.
- Membranous labyrinth, which is represented by a spherical and elliptical sac, three semicircularmembranous canals. The represented part of the inner ear is located in the bony labyrinth and is mainly responsible for maintaining the balance of the body in space.
- The cochlea is an organ of hearing and balance, the structure of which allows you to convert sound vibrations into nervous excitation. It forms a cochlear canal with 2, 5 turns, which are separated by the thinnest Reissner membrane and the main, denser membrane. The latter consists of more than 20,000 specific fibers, which are called auditory strings. They are stretched across the auditory membrane.
Organ of Corti
Responsible for the formation of nerve impulses that are transmitted to the neurons of the brain. The organ is presented in the form of several hairs that play the role of receptors.
Schematically, the process of formation of nerve impulses occurs as follows. Sound waves coming from outside set the fluids in the cochlea in motion. The vibrations are transmitted to the stirrup, and then to the membrane with hair cells. Presented structures are excited, which causes the transmission of signals to neurons. Hair cells are connected to sensory receptors, which together make up the auditory nerve.
Functions of the organ of hearing, balance
The following functions of the organ of hearing and balance are distinguished:
- The outer ear protects the inside of the organ from pollution, reflects sounds into the ear canal.
- The middle ear conducts vibrations of sound waves. The malleus responds to the movement of the tympanic membrane, transmitting them tostirrup and anvil.
- The inner ear provides sound perception and identification of certain signals (speech, music, etc.).
- Semicircular canals promote a sense of balance in space, allow the body to take the optimal position in accordance with the movements.
Organs of balance and hearing: common diseases
There are a number of diseases of an inflammatory, non-inflammatory and infectious nature that affect the organs responsible for the formation of hearing and maintaining orientation in space. Somewhat complicates the elimination of pathological manifestations as a complex structure of the ear apparatus, and the isolated nature of the location of the organs. Let's look at the main range of ailments that affect the organs of balance and hearing, highlight the ways to treat them.
Inflammatory diseases
Among the main ailments of the presented category, it should be noted:
- otitis media;
- otosclerosis;
- maze.
These diseases often develop against the background of infectious or viral diseases that are localized in the nasopharynx.
If we talk about otitis media, their main manifestation is a sensation of itching in the ear canal, the development of aching pain, and in the most advanced cases - abundant discharge of suppuration from the ear canal. All this is manifested by hearing loss.
Inflammatory processes such as labyrinthitis and otosclerosis are characterized by an increase in body temperature,the occurrence of severe shooting pain in the ear canal. In the case of a delayed response to the problem, the likelihood of pathological damage to the structure of the tympanic membrane increases and, as a result, complete hearing loss.
Among the additional symptoms that may accompany the course of inflammatory diseases, one can note: dizziness, loss of the ability to focus the gaze, a decrease in the quality of perception of individual sounds.
Inflamed organs of balance and hearing are treated with special ear drops that reduce swelling, free and disinfect the ear canal. Another effective method of therapy involves heating the ear under an ultraviolet lamp.
Non-inflammatory diseases
One of the most common ailments of the organs of hearing and balance is Meniere's disease. The course of the disease is accompanied by accumulation and stagnation of fluids in the cavities of the inner ear. As a result, pressure on the elements of the vestibular apparatus increases. The main signs of the development of Meniere's disease are tinnitus, regular nausea and vomiting, progressive hearing loss every day.
Another type of non-inflammatory disease is auditory receptor neuritis. The disease is hidden and can lead to the gradual development of hearing loss.
Surgical intervention is most often used as a therapy for the chronic nature of the above pathologies. To avoid such serious problems, hearing hygiene, periodic visits to the doctor are extremely important.
Fungal diseases
As a rule, ailments of this plan occur against the background of damage to the ear canal by spores of pathogenic fungi. In some cases, these diseases develop in response to traumatic tissue damage.
The main complaints of fungal diseases are: constant noise and itching in the ear canal, the formation of atypical discharge from the ear. The elimination of such manifestations involves taking antifungal drugs, which are prescribed by a specialist, depending on the type of infection present.
Sickness syndrome
The semicircular canals of the inner ear are vulnerable to significant external influences. The result of their excessive, intense irritation is the formation of motion sickness syndrome. Diseases of the nervous and autonomic systems, inflammatory processes that occur in the inner part of the hearing aid can also lead to its development. In the latter case, to eliminate discomfort, you should get rid of the manifestations of the underlying ailment. Effective therapy, as a rule, eliminates the feeling of motion sickness that develops during the movement by car, water modes of transport.
Training the vestibular apparatus
What should a he althy person do in the formation of motion sickness syndrome? The main reason for the development of the condition is maintaining a sedentary lifestyle. Regular physical exercises not only allow you to keep the muscles of the body in good shape, but also have a beneficial effect on the resistance of the vestibular apparatus to increasedirritants.
People prone to motion sickness are recommended to do fitness, aerobics, acrobatics, long-distance running, playing sports. In the course of moving the body at a separate speed and performing body movements at different angles, excessive excitation of the vestibular apparatus is gradually suppressed. After some time, the organs of vision, hearing and balance find an optimal balance among themselves. All this allows you to get rid of dizziness and nausea, which is the result of motion sickness.
Hearing hygiene
To prevent hearing loss, it is important to take simple hygiene measures. So, irregular cleaning of the ear canal from accumulated sulfur can cause the formation of traffic jams, which affects hearing loss. To avoid this discomfort, you should periodically wash your ears with soapy water. At the same time, it is recommended to use special cotton swabs to clean the ear canal, since the use of solid objects for this purpose is fraught with damage to the eardrum. If the wax plug cannot be removed by yourself, you need to make an appointment with the doctor for the appropriate procedures.
The organ of hearing and balance, the anatomy of which is directly related to the nasopharynx, requires timely treatment of diseases such as colds, flu, measles, tonsillitis. When entering the auditory tube, pathogenic microorganisms can cause not only inflammation, but also tissue damage.
Affect hearing losscapable of a long stay of a person in noisy rooms, sharp sounds. If you have to work in such conditions on duty, you must protect your hearing organs with earplugs or special headphones.
In conclusion
So we examined the structure of the organ of hearing and balance, the mechanism of sound perception, common pathological manifestations and hygiene features. As you can see, in order to maintain he alth, one should attach importance to the characteristic symptoms that affect hearing loss. To avoid unnecessary problems, it is important to undergo examinations in a timely manner and seek medical help.
