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Hearing Problems
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How does hearing work?

What is sound? Sound is a form of energy and consists of vibrations of air that move in a pattern called waves. The ear is able to pick up these vibrations and convert them into electrical signals that are sent to the brain where they are translated into meaningful sound.
 
The ear has three parts: the outer (external) ear, the middle ear (the ossicles), and the inner ear (the cochlea). Each part of the ear has a role in hearing.
  • The external ear (the outer fleshy part and the ear canals) gathers sound waves and transmits them to the eardrum.
  • The eardrum is a membrane between the outer and middle ear.
  • The sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate.
  • This vibration is then passed on to the three small bones of the middle ear (the Incus, Malleus and Stapes), which amplify and conduct the vibrations to the inner ear.
  • The inner ear (the cochlea) contains fragile membranes, hair cells and nerve endings.
  • The hair cells move in response to the vibrations passed from the ossicles, generating an electrical signal that travels along the hearing (auditory) nerve to the brain.
  • The brain translates the signals into significant information such as language or music.
  • The volume of sound is measured in decibels.
 

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Hearing