News from Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital and Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation - The Union

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Most of us can't imagine a world where volume is off or muted all the time. An area of health we often ignore is ear health.

When you think about it, ears are an amazing appendage. While our ears are working, even when we sleep, you may not know the brain doesn't process information the same as when you are awake.

If you've ever had vertigo or an ear infection, you probably know your ears impact balance because of the fluid in them. When the fluid moves, it sends a signal to your brain which compensates for your balance. Your ears also protect you with earwax, a sticky substance that filters and traps debris and particles to protect your ears.

The smallest bones in the body are in your ears. These bones, known as ossicles, function to aid with sound transmittal by capturing reverberation from the air and relaying it back to the brain.

As part of genetics, you either have attached, or detached earlobes. Did you know your earlobes never stop growing? Scientists aren't really sure why we have earlobes, but because they have an amazing array of blood vessels within them, some believe lobes assist with blood flow.

The three main ear parts are the outer, middle, and inner ear. Sound waves travel through the outer ear to the middle ear where they cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations travel through the ossicles into the inner ear which is a snail-shaped organ. The inner ear translates this into nerve impulses that are sent to the brain.

Acute otitis media, or ear infections, occur in the air-filled space behind the eardrums that contains the tiny vibrating bones of the ear. Most common in children, many ear infections clear up on their own. However, it is important to see your physician if symptoms persist for more than a day, are present in a child under six months of age, if your infant or toddler is irritable after a cold or respiratory infection, or if you observe discharge, pus, or bloody fluid coming from the ear.

About 15 to 20% of older adults experience ringing in one or both of the ears. Known as tinnitus, this condition is generally caused by age-related hearing loss, an ear injury, or a problem with the circulatory system.

Meniere's disease is a disorder of the inner ear that can lead to dizzy spells, vertigo, and hearing loss. While this can occur at any age, Meniere's disease usually occurs between young and middle-aged adulthood.

Ear barotrauma is an ear injury as a result of barometric (air) or water pressure. It is caused by pressure differences between the inside and outside of the ear. It can cause pain, and may result in permanent hearing loss.

To preserve your ears, don't put cotton swabs in the ear canal, don't ignore pain or drainage, and don't crank up sound to earbuds. Make sure to care for your ears and have your hearing checked regularly.

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