Hearing

Main article: Human body

How we hear. Video

Sound waves pass through the external auditory canal, causing vibrations of the eardrum, after which these vibrations are transmitted to the cochlea along the auditory bones.

The eardrum is a translucent membrane consisting of several layers of tissue and is the boundary between the outer and middle ear. But anatomically, it belongs to the middle ear. It can be seen by shining a flashlight in the ear, pulling the auricle to the side. Normally, it has a gray color and a smooth surface.

The eardrum needs to shift less than the diameter of the hydrogen atom so that we can hear the sound.

Inside the snail, all this turns into fluid fluctuations, thereby affecting the auditory receptors, which as a result generates a nerve impulse that is directed to the brain.

Inner ear. Snail (macrophoto)

Such a multi-stage process causes the sound wave to transition to mechanical work, and then to an electric pulse.

Audio awareness delay due to ear tuning

We realize the sound 35 to 175 milliseconds after it has reached the ear. Another 180-500 milliseconds is required for the ear to achieve the best sensitivity - "tune in."

Does the shape of our ears affect how we hear

Surprisingly, it affects. The shape of the ears is as unique as fingerprints. Scientists have suggested that since the auricles are different in humans, each person's brain must remember the shape of the ears in order to accurately process sound information.

An experiment was conducted with the participation of people who put on plastic pads that changed the shape of their ears. It really affected the hearing. After the pads were removed, it took several more weeks before the subjects could hear normally again.

Why you need earwax

This unpleasant substance is very important for our health, and its sticky consistency has its significance.

Dust, dirt, bacteria, fungi and other dangerous stimuli are glued to it, not thus getting into the ear, one of the most sensitive areas of our body, moreover, as you can see, quite open to external influences.

Ear sulfur contains special enzymes - lysozymes. Lysozymes destroy the cell walls of foreign bacteria in two ways: first of all, they trap microbes, acting like sticky paper for flies, and then dissolve them biochemically.

Although we have been taught to clean our ears since childhood, from a health point of view, it is better to leave a little sulfur in them. Sometimes not only purity is important for health, but also the natural secretion of the body.

Hearing problems

2024:77% of people in the world suffer from tinnitus

On May 28, 2024, Apple released the results of a study indicating that 77.6% of people worldwide suffer from tinnitus during their lifetime. With age, the problem becomes more serious, negatively affecting hearing.

More than 160 thousand people took part in the study conducted by specialists from the University of Michigan. It turned out that about 15% of respondents suffer from tinnitus every day, perceiving ringing or other sounds that other people do not hear. The symptoms and sensations of tinnitus can vary significantly from person to person. At the same time, ringing in the ears can negatively affect the overall quality of life, for example, disrupting sleep, concentration or the ability to hear clearly.

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Unsplash

It was found that 35.8% of people aged 55 and over constantly experience tinnitus. Moreover, persons in this age category are three times more likely to face daily tinnitus compared to people aged 18-34 years. In addition, 2.7% more men reported daily tinnitus compared to women. And persistent tinnitus is experienced by men about 6.8% more often than women.

Most people experience brief episodes of tinnitus, whereas 14.7% of respondents reported that the problem was persistent. A majority of survey participants described their tinnitus as either pure tone (78.5%) or white noise (17.4%). Respondents cited "noise trauma" or exposure to overly loud sounds as the main cause of tinnitus: 20.3% of respondents said so. In second place in the list of causes is stress - 7.7%. As for the level of tinnitus, the majority of the study participants considered it weak: for example, 34.4% called it "noticeable." At the same time, 8.8% of respondents reported loud or ultra-loud noise.^[1]

Hearing loss due to noise exposure

Around the world, people over sixty and half over seventy-five face hearing loss. The most common cause is prolonged exposure to too loud noise.

People of our generation lose their hearing faster than our fathers and grandfathers, probably because the world has become noisier than before. Some experts are especially worried about smartphones that are capable of producing loud music for hours without requiring recharging.

Noise leads to hearing impairment by affecting hair cells that recognize sounds in the inner ear. From the surface of hair cells stretch bundles of hairs oscillating in response to sound vibrations. If movements become too frequent, hairs can tear and hair cells can no longer distinguish between sounds.

Cells that respond to high-frequency sounds (such as whistles) are most vulnerable and are usually lost earlier than those that respond to low sounds (sirens). This is why noise-induced hearing impairment begins with a loss of sensitivity to high sounds, which are particularly important in the process of understanding speech.

Hearing aids

2024

How to choose the right hearing aid

The selection of hearing aids is a more complicated process than it might seem at first glance. It is on the competent selection of the device that its effectiveness depends. Therefore, choosing hearing aids is important together with a specialist - a surdologist or audiologist. There are several criteria for selecting suitable sets. Read more about this in the article.

Ear implant released for hearing return

In early July 2024, a group of researchers from the United States developed a hearing return microphone implanted in the ear that could compete with traditional cochlear implants. Read more here.

2022: Audio giant Bose unveils self-adjusting hearing aids

Lexie Hearing and Bose announced on July 27, 2022, a collaboration to introduce the Bose self-adjusting hearing aid technology into the Lexie product line. Read more here.

Chronicle

2024

Genetic engineering: In China, hearing was returned to deaf children from birth

In mid-June 2024, there were presentations of the results of a Shanghai clinical study of a new gene therapy for AAV1-hOTOF that allows hearing to be returned to children with a congenital form of hereditary deafness caused by mutations in the OTOF gene. During the study, it was possible to restore hearing in all five children who were treated. The study will continue to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of the therapy.

The results of these studies are amazing, - said doctor Zheng-and Chen. - We noted a marked improvement in hearing in treated children, with the new study demonstrating additional benefits of gene therapy when applied to both ears, including the ability to localize the sound source and improved speech recognition in noisy environments.

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Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University

According to WHO, disabling hearing loss is observed in more than 5% of the world's population, that is, in about 430 million people, including 34 million children. 26 million people have congenital hearing loss, with 60% of these cases due to genetic factors. In 2022, the research team introduced the world's first gene therapy to treat this kind of disease in a study involving six patients in China who received single-ear therapy. The results of this study, published in January 2024, showed that five out of six children had improved hearing and speech. The new study, presented in the journal Nature Medicine, is the first clinical trial to use gene therapy to act on both ears so that children can localize the sound source in three dimensions. This skill is important for communication and everyday safety, such as when driving, the researchers noted.^[2]

New revolutionary gene therapy successfully restored hearing in deaf baby

On May 9, 2024, British researchers from Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge reported the successful use of revolutionary gene therapy, which allowed the hearing of a deaf baby to be restored. This event, according to doctors, marks a new era in the treatment of deafness. Read more here.

They began to apply a new gene therapy that restores hearing in people with congenital deafness

On January 24, 2024, the Massachusetts Ophthalmic and Otolaryngological Hospital (MEE) reported that American and Chinese specialists successfully introduced gene therapy to restore hearing in children suffering from congenital deafness. We are talking about a DFNB9 mutation in the OTOF (otoferlin protein) gene, which leads to the impossibility of transmitting sound signals from the ear to the brain. Read more here.

2023

Instead of cotton buds. Sales of a smart device with an ear cleaning camera with control on the smartphone screen have begun

In mid-August 2023, the Smart Visual Ear Cleaner went on sale - an unusual smart gadget for cleaning ears with the ability to visualize the process. The device, created by DDLTeck, is designed to replace traditional cotton buds, improving the safety and efficiency of removing earwax and other contaminants. Read more here.

Neuromodulation Device for Tinnitus Treatment Entered the Market

In early March 2023, Neuromod Devices announced the entry into the market of the Lenire neuromodulation device for the treatment of tinnitus. Read more here.

2022

Surgical drill for hearing prosthetics presented

In early December 2022, a smart surgical drill for hearing education was presented, the device automatically turns off if it turns out to be too close to the nerves. Read more here.

In Russia, developed a prosthetic human ear with the function of restoring hearing

In November 2022, it became known about the bionic prosthesis of the human ear developed in Russia with the function of restoring hearing. We are talking about the technology of the Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNIPU). University specialists worked on the project together with colleagues from Perm State Medical University (PMU) and Moscow State Medical and Dental University. Read more here.

Presented a device for testing the hearing of newborns using a smartphone

In early November 2022, researchers from the University of Washington presented a hearing test for newborns using a smartphone. The technology is based on creating noise in the ear canal and then listening to vibrations created by specialized hair cells inside. Read more here.

Device released to suck painful fluid from ear in children without anesthesia

In early November 2022, medical technology company Preceptis Medical introduced the Hummingbird tympanostomy tube system. This device allows ENT surgeons to insert ear tubes in comfortable conditions of their office. The procedure requires only local anesthesia and should be less excruciating for pediatric patients than the traditional approach requiring general anesthesia. Read more here.

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