MAIN Health The Human Body Ears

Ears are the sensory organ responsible for interpreting a world of sound.

From a child's laugh, to the blare of a police siren, everyday sounds travel from the ear to the brain and either annoy, alarm or delight us.

Built for sound

Sound is actually a kind of energy that moves through the air (and many other substances, like water, for instance) via waves of pressure - hence the name sound waves.

The unique form of the ear is perfectly constructed for catching sound waves, which travel through the ear canal on their way to the brain. Sound is transferred through ear canal via tiny little hairs made out of proteins. When these hairs are bent by sound waves, they become responsible for forwarding nerve signals to the brain, which in turn interprets them as sounds that we hear every day.

While ears are a major contributor to helping us make our way in the world, hearing is not their only function. Another important role the ear plays is as a major contributor to our sense of body position. Anyone who has had a serious earache or inner ear infection can attest to the ear's important role in keeping our balance.

Keeping ears healthy

Keeping ears healthy, much like other organ in the body, usually does not take constant care. More often its is simply a case of keeping them from abuse.

Of course, this is sometimes not as easy as it sounds in our modern world. Extremely loud noises, for instance, can have sudden damaging effects, although more commonly it is constant exposure to high-decibel noise from DVD or iPod earbuds for example, that builds up slight damage over time and eventually leads to heairng loss.

Good hygiene also plays an important part in keeping ears healthy, although overcleaning sometimes does more harm than good. Ear wax is there to protect the inner workings of the ear, and so constantly removing it is exposing the ear to possible damage. Trying to clean out the ear may also only serve to compact the wax further in the ear, resulting in infection. The best solution to ear wax is to clean whatever wax makes it far enough out that it can be reached with a damp cloth, and leave the rest in the ear to do its job.

More about the human ear around the Web:

Earaches - Pediatric Dr. Reddy with easily readable subject matter covering how the ear works and how it can become infected, a discussion on common earaches and how to treat them, plus more on on swimmer's ear.

The Doctors Book of Home Remedies - Earaches - Tips for quick remedies found around the house including mineral oil, heat therapy, over-the-counter pain relievers, plus tips on how to painlessly remove a bug lodged in the ear, with advice on when to see a doctor.

Ear Infections and Your Child - Good overview from the American Academy of Pediatrics with information on causes and typical symptoms. Scroll to the bottom of the page for more resources explaining related risk factors, complications, treatment options.

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