Organs of balance and hearing: description, structure and functions

The organs of balance and hearing are a complex of structures that perceive vibrations, identify sound waves, transmit gravitational signals to the brain. The main receptors are located in the so-called membranous snail and the eve of the ear. The remaining structures that form the inner and middle ear are auxiliary. In this material, we will examine in detail the organs of hearing and balance, their analyzers.

Outer ear

It is represented by an external auricle - an elastic cartilaginous tissue covered with skin. The lobe of the outer ear is filled with fat structure. Since a person's outer ear is practically motionless, his role is less significant than in animals that find the source of sound due to ears.

The development of the organ of hearing and balance led to the formation of characteristic folds and curls in the external auricle of the person, which facilitate the trapping of 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. The cartilaginous tissue of the external auditory canal smoothly passes into the bone. The inner surfaces of the outer ear are lined with epithelium with the content of sebaceous glands. The latter, in addition to fats, produce earwax, which prevents contamination of the body with dust, small debris, protects it from multiplying microorganisms.

Eardrum

It has the form of a thin membrane not more than 0.1 mm thick, which is located on the border of the outer and middle ear. Sound waves, which are reflected from the convolutions of the auricle, pass through the ear canal, causing oscillations of the tympanic membrane. In turn, the generated signals are transmitted to the middle ear.

Middle ear

The basis of the middle ear is a small cavity, with a volume of about 1 cm ³ , which is located in the area of the temporal bone of the skull. Here are a few auditory ossicles - the so-called stapes, a malleus and an anvil. They act as miniature bone fragments that form the organ of hearing and balance. It innervates its set of corresponding nerves.

The inner ear

What does this body of hearing and balance consist of? The histology of the inner ear is represented by the following elements:

1. Bone labyrinth, consisting of the vestibule of the inner ear, semicircular canals and bone snail. These elements are filled with perilymph - a specific fluid that converts sound vibrations into mechanical vibrations.
2. A webbed labyrinth, which is represented by a spherical and elliptical sac, with three semicircular membranous canals. The presented part of the inner ear is located in the bone labyrinth and is responsible mainly for maintaining the balance of the body in space.
3. The snail is the organ of hearing and balance, the structure of which makes it possible to convert sound vibrations into nervous excitement. Forms a channel of cochlea of 2.5 turns, which are separated by the finest Reisner membrane and the main, denser membrane. The latter consists of more than 20,000 specific fibers, called auditory strings. They are stretched across the auditory membrane.

Corti's organ

Responsible for the formation of nerve impulses, which are transmitted to the neurons of the brain. The organ is represented 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 in motion the liquids in the cochlea. Oscillations are transmitted to the stapes, and then to the membrane with hair cells. The presented structures are excited, which causes the transmission of signals to neurons. Hair cells are connected to sensitive receptors, which together constitute the auditory nerve.

Functions of the organ of hearing, balance

Allocate the following functions of the organ of hearing and balance:

1. The outer ear protects the inner part of the body from contamination, reflects sounds in the ear canal.
2. The middle ear conducts oscillations of sound waves. The hammer reacts to the movement of the tympanic membrane, transferring them to the stapes and anvil.
3. The inner ear provides the perception of sound and the identification of certain signals (speech, music, etc.).
4. Semicircular canals contribute to the formation of a sense of balance in space, allow the body to take an optimal position in accordance with movements.

Organs of balance and hearing: common diseases

There are a number of inflammatory, non-inflammatory and infectious diseases that affect the organs responsible for the formation of hearing and the maintenance of orientation in space. Somewhat complicates the elimination of pathological manifestations as a complex structure of the ear apparatus, and the isolated nature of the arrangement of organs. Let's consider the main number of ailments that affect the organs of balance and hearing, identify the ways of their treatment.

Inflammatory diseases

Among the main ailments of the presented category it should be noted:

• otitis;
• Otosclerosis;
• Labyrinthite.

These diseases often develop against a background of infectious or viral diseases that are localized in the nasopharynx.

If to speak about otitis, their main manifestation is the sensation of itching in the ear canal, the development of aching pain syndrome, and in the most neglected cases - a profuse allocation of suppuration from the ear canal. All this is manifested by a decrease in hearing.

For such inflammatory processes as labyrinthitis and otosclerosis, an increase in body temperature, the emergence of severe shooting pain in the ear canal is characteristic. In case of belated response to the problem, the probability of pathological damage to the tympanic membrane increases and as a result - complete loss of hearing.

Among the additional symptoms that can accompany the course of inflammatory diseases, you can note: dizziness, loss of ability to focus the look, a drop in the quality of perception of individual sounds.

Inflamed organs of balance and hearing are treated with special ear drops, which reduce swelling, release and disinfect the ear canal. Another effective method of therapy involves warming up 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 the accumulation and stagnation of fluids in the cavities of the inner ear. As a result, the pressure on the elements of the vestibular apparatus increases. The main signs of the development of Ménière's disease are tinnitus, regular nausea and vomiting, a progressive hearing loss worsening day by day.

Another type of non-inflammatory disease is the neuritis of the auditory receptors. The disease has a hidden nature and can lead to a gradual development of hearing loss.

As a therapy for the chronic nature of the above pathologies are most often resorted to surgical intervention. To avoid such serious problems, the hygiene of the hearing organs is extremely important, and periodic visits to the doctor.

Fungal diseases

As a rule, the ailments of this plan arise against the background of the defeat of the ear canal by spores of pathogenic fungi. In some cases, such diseases develop in response to traumatic tissue damage.

The main complaints for ailments of fungal nature are: constant noise and itching sensation in the ear canal, the formation of atypical secretions from the ear. Elimination of such manifestations presupposes the use of antifungal drugs, which are prescribed by a specialist, depending on the type of infection.

The motion sickness syndrome

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. To its development can also lead diseases of the nervous and autonomic system, inflammatory processes that occur in the inner part of the hearing aid. In the latter case, to eliminate discomfort should get rid of the manifestations of the underlying ailment. Effective therapy, as a rule, can eliminate the sensation of motion sickness, which develops during the movement by car, water transport.

Vestibular apparatus training

What should a healthy person do when he develops motion sickness syndrome? The main reason for the development of the state is the maintenance of a sedentary lifestyle. Regular physical exercises not only support the muscles of the body in tone, but also have a beneficial effect on the stability of the vestibular apparatus to the intensified stimuli.

People who are prone to motion sickness, it is recommended to engage in fitness, aerobics, acrobatics, long distance running, game sports. During the movement of the body at a separate speed and the movements of the body at different angles, the excessive excitation of the vestibular apparatus is gradually suppressed. After a while, the organs of sight, 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.

Hygiene of the organs of hearing

To prevent disturbances in the functioning of the hearing organs, it is important to take simple hygienic measures. Thus, irregular cleaning of the ear canal from accumulated sulfur can cause the formation of congestion, which affects the decrease in hearing. To avoid such discomfort, it is necessary to wash your ears periodically with soapy water. In this case, it is recommended to use special cotton buds to clean the ear canal, since the use of solid objects for this purpose is fraught with damage to the tympanic membrane. If the sulfur plug can not be removed by yourself, you need to make an appointment with the appropriate procedures to the doctor.

The organ of hearing and balance, the anatomy of which has a direct connection with the nasopharynx, requires timely treatment of diseases such as colds, flu, measles, tonsillitis. When penetrating the auditory tube, pathogenic microorganisms can cause not only inflammation, but also tissue damage.

Affect the decrease in hearing is capable of long-term presence of a person in noisy rooms, sharp sounds. If you work in such conditions, you have to work as a duty, you need to protect your hearing organs with ear plugs or special earphones.

Finally

So we examined the structure of the organ of hearing and balance, the mechanism of perception of sounds, common pathological manifestations and features of hygiene. As you can see, for the sake of health, characteristic symptoms that affect hearing loss should be given importance. In order to avoid unnecessary problems, it is important to undergo examinations on time and seek medical help from a doctor.